AfricaCom 2025 Post-Show Report: Exploring Africa’s Digital Potential Through Stories, Voices, and Vision
This year, the momentum was unmistakable. Africa’s technology landscape is moving quickly and AfricaCom once again proved itself as the event that captures this movement at full scale.
For many years, AfricaCom has served as the meeting point for visionaries shaping the continent’s digital future. It has grown into the place where bold ideas, influential voices, and emerging innovation find common ground. The 2025 edition, held from 11 to 13 November at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, carried that spirit with new intensity. The halls were filled with discussions about connectivity growth, the rise of artificial intelligence, evolving policy frameworks, and the push for deeper digital inclusion across every region.
This year, the momentum was unmistakable. Africa’s technology landscape is moving quickly and AfricaCom once again proved itself as the event that captures this movement at full scale.
As an official media partner, TechAfrica News immersed itself in the heart of the action. Our team captured the moments that mattered, hosted strategic conversations, highlighted industry voices, and documented the insights that shaped the narrative of the entire show. The result is a comprehensive view of AfricaCom 2025 and a clear sense of where the continent’s digital story is heading next.
“AfricaCom 2025 showed how rapidly the continent is moving toward a fully connected future. The conversations this year were practical, ambitious, and focused on real impact. It is always an honour for our team to document these moments and highlight the people who are driving Africa’s digital growth. TechAfrica News remains committed to telling these stories with clarity, depth, and a focus on progress.”
— Akim Benamara, Chief Editor and Founder, TechAfrica News
Central to This Year’s Agenda
AfricaCom 2025 carried a clear theme that shaped every conversation across the venue. The essence of Africa’s digital future could be captured in one idea: momentum. The event demonstrated how digital transformation on the continent is beginning to take full shape through collaboration, infrastructure growth, and a sharper focus on practical innovation.
Across the programme, the major content tracks brought this momentum to life. AfricaCom Centre Stage stood out as a hub where ideas translated into action. Leaders from media, entertainment, broadcast, OTT, and emerging connectivity fields examined how fresh thinking supports new partnerships and tangible industry outcomes.
Telcos of Tomorrow explored the changing role of operators in a fast evolving market. Speakers analysed strategies and business models that allow operators to extend services, reach underserved communities, and enable inclusive digital transformation at scale.
Connectivity remained one of the most important themes of the entire event. Sessions centred on the creation of affordable, reliable, and scalable networks, with emphasis on how strong infrastructure opens doors to innovation, social impact, and economic participation for millions of Africans.
Data Centres Africa completed the picture by spotlighting the infrastructure that powers the continent’s digital economy. Discussions focused on sustainable and scalable facilities that support enterprises, protect data, and strengthen Africa’s digital backbone.
Together, these themes reflected the wider story of AfricaCom 2025. The continent is not imagining its digital future. It is building it with purpose, speed, and a growing sense of collective determination.
How We Showed Up
TechAfrica News approached AfricaCom 2025 with a presence that reached far beyond the exhibition halls. Our team operated in the centre of the action with daily coverage, continuous interviews, and coordinated content production that kept pace with the pulse of the event. Every part of our workflow was active and intentional. From capturing breaking insights to driving new conversations, our contribution helped shape the atmosphere of the show.
A significant part of this presence came from our Chief Editor and Founder, Akim Benamara, who moderated four strategic sessions across the programme. His role on stage placed TechAfrica News within the decision making core of the event.
In the fireside chat “Open AI for an Open Africa – Building Inclusive Innovation,” Akim guided a conversation with Emmanuel Lubanzadio, Africa Lead at OpenAI, and Thabo Makenete, Head of Public Policy, Southern Africa at Meta. The session explored how open AI, accessible data, and local collaboration can drive inclusive innovation. Thabo noted that Africa’s challenge is not a lack of data but limited access and coordination, pointing to rich linguistic and cultural datasets held by organizations such as the South African Broadcasting Corporation and national cultural departments. Emmanuel emphasized that progress requires cross-sector collaboration, drawing lessons from Iceland’s language preservation initiatives. Together, they highlighted the need for ethical AI governance and practical cooperation to unlock AI’s potential across healthcare, agriculture, education, and public services.
“The issue is not about whether we have language models that can understand our languages and cultures. The issue is do we have access to the data that we can train these models on.”
— Thabo Makenete, Head of Public Policy, Southern Africa, Meta
“It’s a collective effort and also a collective responsibility… it’s really about collaboration with academia, government, and the private sector.”
— Emmanuel Lubanzadio, Africa Lead, OpenAI
Later, in “Harnessing Generative AI for Africa’s Digital Transformation,” Akim led a session with Angela Wamola, Head of Africa at GSMA, unpacking how generative AI can unlock Africa’s digital potential. Angela underscored that talent is abundant, but access is limited. She highlighted the importance of affordable devices, lower data costs, and local language content, while showcasing innovators building mobile-first, lightweight AI tools tailored to African realities. She closed with a resonant call to action:
“So when we’re looking at interacting with AI from an African perspective, it means that the content must exist in the first place. And the challenge for Africa is that the context, the cultural diversity, the linguistic diversity — it’s absent. Because we need to start by generating content, and that’s the biggest opportunity we have.”
— Angela Wamola, Head of Africa, GSMA
Connectivity was another major focus. In the HONOUR fireside chat “The African Connectivity Challenge – Infrastructure, Affordability, and Awareness,” Akim moderated a panel with Fred Zhou, CEO of HONOR Technologies Africa; Andisa Ntsubane, Managing Executive for Brand, Marketing and Communications at Vodacom Group; and Vusi Thembekwayo, Global Speaker and CEO of MyGrowthFund. The discussion highlighted the intertwined roles of infrastructure, affordability, and African-led innovation. The panelists stressed that meaningful connectivity requires collaboration across telecoms, manufacturers, and investors, making devices and services accessible to all while empowering local participation in the digital economy.
“Once we hit that start point and we cooperate, consumers just pay a few rands to get access to the internet. Affordability is solved not by one party but through collaboration from OEMs, operators, and business partners.”
— Fred Zhou, CEO, HONOR Technologies Africa
“The last piece is about reducing the cost and the affordability of the internet. That means getting devices at prices below $30 and focusing on accessible products like Easy-to-Own in South Africa.”
— Andisa Ntsubane, Managing Executive for Brand, Marketing and Communications, Vodacom Group
“The challenge is to go beyond consuming technology. Africans must use devices for production, contribute to value chains, and add to data ecosystems that feed global innovation.”
— Vusi Thembekwayo, Global Speaker and CEO, MyGrowthFund
In the panel “Collaboration in Action: Fostering Telco Partnerships to Drive Digital Inclusion,” Akim Benamara moderated a discussion with Linda Oniwe, Vice President of Telcos, Media and Technology Sector Team at Standard Bank; Sigourney Chinnappen, Senior Corporate Finance Transactor at RMB; Mike Silber, Executive Group Regulatory at MTN; and Waheed Adam, Vice Chair of the Mobile Ecosystem Forum. The session examined how strategic partnerships and cross-industry collaboration can overcome policy and localization challenges, harmonize cross-border data transfers, and expand connectivity across Africa. Speakers shared insights on global best practices and highlighted the importance of collective action in driving inclusive digital transformation on the continent.
Across every session, the panels moderated by Akim Benamara underscored a consistent message: Africa’s digital transformation is accelerating, but success depends on cooperation, local relevance, and inclusive innovation. TechAfrica News’ presence ensured that these insights were captured and amplified, offering audiences an authentic, informed view of the conversations defining AfricaCom 2025.
Voices from the Floor: Insights from AfricaCom 2025
AfricaCom 2025 was alive with ideas, perspectives, and experiences from across the continent’s technology ecosystem. From industry leaders and innovators to policymakers and entrepreneurs, our team spoke to a diverse range of voices to capture the pulse of Africa’s digital transformation.
AI for Advancing Inclusion: Minister George Outlines Ghana’s Strategy for Localized and Responsible Innovation
“I look at AI not just as artificial intelligence, but as a tool to advance inclusion. AI could actually stand for advancing inclusion or advancing inequality—it’s up to you. The policies you put in place will either widen the digital gap or help close it, and that is exactly what we want to use artificial intelligence for. One of the key initiatives we are focusing on is our data harmonization act. This allows us to take large volumes of data from multiple silos across the country, harmonize and process it, and perform proper data mining to make informed decisions that benefit the Ghanaian people.”
–Honorable Samuel Nartey George (MP), Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Ghana
Affordable, High-Quality Fiber: Open Access Metro on Transforming Internet Access Across the Continent
“Initially, there are key demographics we focus on, but we also have a strategy to reach other segments of the market that are traditionally the most unconnected. We can bring fiber, or a combination of fiber and wireless technologies, to those areas as well to ensure they are included. We do not want to expand the digital divide or leave people behind.”
– Kevin McLoughlin, Vice President, Open Access Metro
Turning Data into Decisions: How Skyline Communications’ DataMiner Supports African Enterprises
“DataMiner is all about getting that into one sort of solution together. What we see is Africa being an emerging market, really rapidly growing. Companies are either starting out or a little bit behind. And with our platform, it’s very easy to quickly get ahead of that or jump into that sort of train and keep going with that much easier.”
– Paul Strydom, Regional Account Manager at Skyline Communications
Reinventing Content Delivery in Africa: EKT on DVB NIP, Operator TV, and New Opportunities for Connectivity
“Africa is still largely a greenfield site for satellite delivery of content, which is one of the main uses of DVB-NIP. Within Africa, you have a huge potential with still very few professional operators, and it gives an operator the opportunity to offer a near, close-to-OTT experience using satellite, which is a very efficient way of covering Africa.”
–Richard Smith, CEO, EKT
Nokia’s Vision for Africa’s Next Era: AI, Premium Connectivity, and End-to-End Networks
“I’m proud to say that among European vendor and Western vendors, we are the only one that can provide this end to end approach on the network, on whatever it is – with mobile network, IP, optics, fixed network, cloud, and network service, and our strong footprint on the ground. What’s more kind of a natural evolution in terms of the, if you look at the technology stack, because you see the networks are evolving.”
– Toni Pellegrino, Managing Director, Nokia South Africa
Clouds2Africa: Telcables South Africa on Building Local Cloud Capacity and Ensuring Continuous Network Access
“The plan for 2025 and 2026 is to roll out more cloud infrastructure solutions locally in Africa. That is the whole idea: we want to build cloud solutions that are relevant to the African market and keep the information and data local.”
-Sudhir Juggernath, CEO, Telcables South Africa
Spectronite’s Approach to High-Capacity Wireless Backhaul for Faster, More Efficient Networks in Africa
“The industry today requires that when more capacity is needed, someone has to travel to the site, sometimes days away from the operations center, to upgrade hardware and add equipment to the antennas. That is often overlooked. We are transitioning this industry toward a fully software-defined network. Even in Africa, software-defined networks are a hot topic in Europe, but we are bringing that innovation here. We believe this will accelerate deployment and fundamentally change the economics of wireless backhaul.”
-Jean-Philippe Fournier, CEO and Founder, Spectronite
How Ciena Drives Africa’s Connectivity Expansion with Submarine, Optical, and AI-Ready Networks
“ You step back for a minute, and you see that every single day there is a new press release about a new AI data factory or AI data center being built here, there, and everywhere. All those factories are generating enormous amounts of data, and that data is not just moving within data centers anymore. It is moving across data centers, and that is really our sweet spot: transporting data across an optical infrastructure.”
-Joe Marsella, Vice President, International Business Development, Ciena
Navigating Africa’s Telco Challenges: Protei on Data, AI, and Opportunities for Alternative Vendors
“Because despite the growth of the number of subscribers, the average price that regular people are ready to pay for a commodity service is not increasing; it is decreasing. At the same time, operators must invest a lot in capacity, in throughput, and in network quality. And this is a big challenge: how to keep the network up to date, how to deploy new technology, and keep acceptable prices for subscribers.”
–Vladimir Freinkman, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development, Protei
Vertiv Maps Out What It Takes to Build Future-Ready Data Centers for AI in Africa
“Only five years ago, and even sometimes now, we see capacities of two to three kilowatts per rack. AI requires more than fifty kilowatts per rack. That changes the landscape dramatically. You need a completely different cooling system, a completely different power system. Everything is essentially new. That is the beauty of this industry, because you learn every day. Things are changing, and they are changing rapidly, so you have to be prepared, flexible, and scalable. I believe our solutions provide a strong response to what the market needs.”
– Wojtek Piorko, Managing Director for Africa, Vertiv
Stacuity and iONLINE at AfricaCom 2025: Bringing Agility and Edge Innovation to Africa’s IoT and Mobile Networks
“So I think visibility is another key thing in IoT, particularly where the customer has 100,000 smart meters that all wake up at 6 a.m. and none of them are connecting for some reason. Normally, you would have to wait two weeks to schedule a call with a local operator to do a packet trace. In the platform we provide to iONLINE, you can click a button and see what’s going on across the whole estate yourself, or iONLINE can do it for you as a managed service. That’s part of what we do—bringing decentralized control with agility and distribution, providing that local experience globally. “
– John Freeman, CEO, Stacuity
Multi-Orbit Momentum: SES Outlines Growth Path for Africa’s Operators and Enterprises
“Well, we see a lot of growth in the region, all with the MNOs on the cell backhaul side. This is a market that is definitely growing. We have a big presence in the region, with platforms in South Africa, DRC, and Nigeria, where we manage all these CBH services. On top of this, we can also customize our service for customers in different countries. This is for sure our biggest growth vertical.”
– Pablo Catapodis, Vice President, Africa, SES
“There is no point in building fibre where it already exists. Instead of saying, “You have it here, I have it there,” we explore ways to exchange value in different forms. It is interesting because the people you might think of as competitors can become your partners, and that works both ways as well.”
-Makgosi Mabaso, CCO, Openserve
“In rural and semi-rural areas, the approach is different. Fiber deployment can be simplified compared to metro areas. The goal is inclusion and providing access to these communities while offering flexibility in the value proposition.”
– Amu Maja, Executive: Carrier and Global Business, Openserve
Turnkey Solutions for Africa: MasterPower Technologies on Delivering AI-Ready Data Centers for Africa
TechAfrica News Chief Editor and Founder, Akim Benamara, also spoke with Rory Reid, Head of Department: Data Centers at Master Power Technologies, who shared insights on the company’s role in strengthening Africa’s digital backbone. The discussion focused on how Master Power Technologies is supporting the move toward resilient, AI-ready infrastructure through integrated power systems, turnkey data centre delivery, and advanced monitoring solutions designed for long-term reliability.
We Asked the Industry
To understand the industry’s perspective on Africa’s digital future, our editors walked the show floor and asked a simple but powerful question: “What is the biggest barrier Africa must overcome to unlock its digital potential?”
The responses were as diverse as the continent itself, offering fascinating insights from leaders, innovators, and technologists. From infrastructure challenges and policy hurdles to digital literacy and affordability, the conversations highlighted both the obstacles and the opportunities shaping Africa’s technology landscape. The feedback captured in this mini “slideshow” reflects the urgency, creativity, and determination driving the continent toward a connected, inclusive, and digitally empowered future.
On the Sidelines of AfricaCom 2025
In the days leading up to AfricaCom 2025, TechAfrica News was on the ground as the official media partner for the Digital Africa Summit South Africa Edition at the One&Only Hotel in Cape Town. Hosted by the GSMA in partnership with Invictus Global Media Group on 10 November 2025, the summit brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and innovators to discuss the continent’s ongoing digital transformation.
The event also served as the platform for the launch of two key GSMA reports: Accelerating Smartphone Adoption in Africa and Enabling Smart Manufacturing in Africa. These publications provide a detailed view of the current landscape, highlighting the critical role of connectivity, device affordability, and forward-looking policy in driving Africa’s digital and economic growth. Together, the summit and the reports underscored a shared vision for the continent: building scalable, inclusive, and sustainable pathways for Africa’s next phase of digital transformation.
In addition to coverage of the summit, TechAfrica News filmed episodes for the TechAfrica News Podcast featuring Anthony Mveyange, Director of Programmes at Synergy, AHRPC, Emmanuel Owusu, CTO of AT Ghana, and Omar Diab, Regional VP of Sales – MEA at ST Engineering iDirect. Stay tuned for the full podcast episodes, and explore our podcast page to catch up with previous discussions shaping Africa’s technology landscape.
Hamwe 2025: Networking in Full Swing
AfricaCom would not be complete without our signature networking night, Hamwe 2025, hosted by TechAfrica News. Hamwe returned for its fourth edition as TechAfrica News’ signature networking event, hosted in collaboration with our partners — the Digital Africa Summit, GSMA, EKT, PROTEI, and the Africa Data Centres Association. The evening brought together industry leaders, innovators, and AfricaCom participants for an informal yet vibrant networking experience.
Over 200 guests mingled, continuing conversations sparked on the show floor, exploring collaborative opportunities, and connecting with peers in a relaxed and lively atmosphere. The night was alive with energetic discussions about Africa’s digital transformation, shared over great gin, music, and laughter. Attendees forged new partnerships, discovered emerging innovations, and celebrated milestones driving the continent’s technology landscape forward.
Hamwe 2025 was more than a networking event—it was a celebration of Africa’s digital momentum. We extend our heartfelt thanks to our co-hosts, and we cannot wait to do this again next year for another unforgettable evening of connection, inspiration, and collaboration.
Editor’s Take: Africa’s Biggest Potential
Walking the floors of AfricaCom 2025, attending panels, engaging in fireside chats, and connecting with industry leaders, we realised something deeply present yet often overlooked. Beyond the ideas, policies, and reforms driving Africa toward a more connected digital future, it is the people who truly define the continent’s potential. Zealous, ambitious, and passionate, they are shaping a future that is not just about business growth, but about meaningful community impact. Witnessing this energy and dedication was inspiring, and it reinforced our belief that Africa’s greatest strength lies in the people driving its digital transformation.
“Africa’s digital future is not defined by technology alone, but by the people who harness it to create opportunities, solve challenges, and uplift communities across the continent.”
— Akim Benamara, Chief Editor & Founder, TechAfrica News
“What stood out most was the ambition and purpose in every conversation. AfricaCom 2025 reminded us that the real story of Africa’s tech evolution is about people turning ideas into tangible impact for the continent.”
— Joyce Onyeagoro, Senior Editor, TechAfrica News
As we reflect on the event, we are reminded that Africa’s journey toward a connected, prosperous, and inclusive digital future is being built not just through innovation, but through the dedication and vision of its people. We look forward to seeing how this potential continues to unfold in the years ahead.
Stay tuned with TechAfrica News for more insights, stories, conversations, and industry perspectives.
