Policymakers, regulators, development partners and telecommunications industry leaders have renewed calls for stronger collaboration to accelerate Africa’s digital transformation and close the continent’s persistent connectivity gap.
The call was made during the GSMA Ministerial Roundtable held on the sidelines of the Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona, where discussions focused on strategies for bridging Africa’s digital divide and expanding access to digital services across the continent.
Speaking at the meeting, the Chief Executive Officer of Ethio telecom, Frehiwot Tamru, called for a coordinated approach among stakeholders to drive faster digital development in Africa.
Tamru commended the GSMA and its research arm, GSMA Intelligence, for developing the Digital Africa Index, which tracks the continent’s digital progress and provides insights into the growth of the digital sector.
However, she noted that the index currently relies on limited data because only a few African countries submitted the necessary digital sector statistics required for the analysis.
According to her, greater participation by governments and institutions across the continent is needed to ensure that the index reflects a more accurate picture of Africa’s digital landscape and can better inform policymaking, regulatory reforms and investment decisions.
Tamru observed that Africa’s digital transformation efforts have often been pursued in a fragmented manner, with governments and industry players focusing on different priorities at different times.
She explained that initiatives have typically addressed issues such as network expansion, digital inclusion, affordable internet-enabled devices and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence separately rather than as part of a unified strategy.
Tamru argued that faster progress would require an integrated approach where digital infrastructure, devices, local digital content and enabling regulatory policies are developed simultaneously.
She also stressed the need for stronger collaboration among governments, regulators, telecom operators, technology companies and development institutions to address the continent’s digital challenges.
Without such coordinated action, she warned, it could take several decades to fully close Africa’s digital divide.
