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The TechAfrica News podcast where we dive deeper into the stories behind Africa’s digital transformation.
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We focus on the core forces reshaping the continent: connectivity and infrastructure, emerging technologies, digital health, financial innovation, and the evolving tech ecosystem.
Each episode offers clear-eyed insights into the breakthroughs and challenges defining Africa’s digital landscape. Expect candid discussions, expert analysis, and real stories that reveal the true impact of technology on Africa’s growth and future.
Produced in partnership with SmartAfrica, this podcast connects you to the essential conversations shaping Africa’s digital future.
LATEST EPISODES
EP.05 | S2 | Could Satellites Free Africa from Network Limits? ST Engineering iDirect on Multi-Orbit Connectivity
What will it take to connect Africa at scale, sustainably and intelligently?
In this TechAfrica News podcast episode, Omar Diab, Regional Vice President of Sales for the Middle East and Africa at ST Engineering iDirect, sat down with Akim Benamara, Chief Editor and Founder of TechAfrica News, to unpack the structural shifts redefining connectivity across the continent.
The conversation moved seamlessly across satellite evolution, multi-orbit strategy, 5G expansion, AI-driven network management and new investment models. At its core, the discussion unpacked how technology, standards and partnerships are reshaping connectivity economics, and what it will take to bridge the rural access gap without sacrificing profitability or performance.
From interoperability and virtualization to service-driven models and ecosystem thinking, the exchange revealed the structural shifts quietly redefining Africa’s connectivity landscape.
Talking Points
- 00:29Africa’s Digital Momentum & Satellite’s Comeback
- 03:58ST Engineering iDirect’s Strategy in Africa: Multi-Orbit, 5G NTN & Intuition Platform
- 10:14AI as an Operational Game-Changer
- 14:55Satellite Enabling 5G in Rural Africa & The Unbound Model
- 21:32Partnership-Driven Innovation & Multi-Orbit Relevance
- 30:40The Future: Seamless Hybrid Networks & Broadcast Innovation
LISTEN TO OUR EPISODES
Coming up
Feb 2026
Omar Diab, ST Engineering iDirect
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About the Podcast
We started the TechAfrica News Podcast to go beyond the headlines and bring a human voice to the stories we cover every day. With so much innovation happening across the continent, we wanted a space where leaders, experts, and changemakers could speak directly—sharing perspectives, experiences, and strategies in their own words. It’s our way of making the fast-moving world of African tech more accessible, more personal, and more real.
About Smart Africa
Smart Africa is a pan-African alliance of 39 member states, international organizations, and private sector partners committed to driving Africa’s digital transformation. Launched with the vision of creating a single digital market, Smart Africa works to accelerate sustainable socio-economic development by fostering innovation and advancing digital policy harmonization.
Smart Africa plays a leading role in shaping the continent’s digital future—empowering governments, businesses, and citizens to thrive in the digital age.
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