THREE WAYS TO MAKE RICH AFRICA WORK FOR POOR AFRICANS lack of progress. Countries like Estonia have shown that it is possible to craft a national digital social order that delivers for all.
Accordingly, below are three areas in which the continent’ s leaders in Durban will explore how to grapple with these new challenges while addressing the inclusivity challenge by embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
1. Mobility-related technology is connecting the continent in unparalleled ways under land, overland and above land. Over 70 % of Africans now have unprecedented access to mobile technology. This digital infrastructure offers new opportunities for the majority of poor Africans in rural and informal economies.
After Zipline’ s successful launch of dronedelivered blood and medical supplies in Rwanda last year, it is increasingly evident that drones are revolutionising the small cargo delivery supply chain.
And, with the launch of the Ethiopia- Djibouti train last October, Africa’ s highspeed railway network is becoming a reality. Transnet is also leading the way with the first locally“ designed, engineered and manufactured” train – the Trans African Locomotive – launching in April 2017.
This year, Africa is expected to launch the Continental Free Trade Area( CFTA). The key objectives of the CFTA are to boost intra-African trade and investment by easing the movement of goods and people on the continent and to improve Africa’ s competitiveness and economic growth by reducing the cost of doing business. Intra-African trade stands at about 15 % of total volume, compared to 60 % of intercontinental trade in the European Union, 53 % in East Asia, 41 % in North America and 20 % in Latin America and the
Caribbean. Achieving this milestone will start to make regional integration a reality. The next step will be to make it easier for Africans to travel within Africa without a visa.
2. Disruptions to manufacturing technology such as the internet of things and 3D printing are liberalising access to technology and decentralising production. At Gearbox in Kenya, makers from the informal industry, including jua kali artisans without formal engineering skills, are using 3D printing to manufacture quality products faster and cheaper. Elsewhere, technologists like David Sengeh, inspired by the plight of amputees in Sierra Leone, are harnessing artificial intelligence and machine learning to develop the next generation of prosthetic devices.
These developments notwithstanding, Africa still lags significantly behind the rest of the world in terms of manufacturing. According to the African Development Bank, the continent’ s manufacturing exports doubled between 2005 and 2014 to more than US $ 100bn, with the share of intra-African trade rising from 20 % to 34 % over the same period. However, Africa’ s share of global manufacturing exports remains less than 1 %, compared with over 16 % for East Asia.
3. Emerging African inventors are reimagining solutions suited to the African context. It is estimated that, by 2050, over 700 million new housing units will be needed. This implies a radical rethink of what kinds of shelter to construct. Elijah Djan from South Africa is ahead of the curve with his invention of bricks made out of paper, essentially creating a sharing economy by finding a new use for waste. In order for African innovators to thrive, though, policy-makers need to provide a conducive intellectual property regime and make it easier to do business competitively.
For the continent to fully leverage opportunities presented by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, dramatic investments need to be made to ensure that Africans are equipped with the right skills for the future of jobs. For example, the overall shortage of engineers is estimated at one million. In addition, more efforts are required to reverse the widening gender digital divide.
When all is said and done, successful implementation will depend on Africans’ shared values and identity. True integration is a bottom-up cultural process, not a top-down political or technical process. Moreover, we cannot assume that we can work together if we do not deliberately build bridges across languages and borders, as well as actively prepare for intergenerational transitions between leaders. In Durban, home to the largest tribe in South Africa and largest diaspora of Indians outside of India, we will discuss how to build a shared understanding and nurture collective responsibility to navigate the transition from Africa 1.0 to Africa 4.0 while strengthening our united socio-cultural heritage.
As we look back to see forward, it is equally important to stop bad traditional practices. Madam Graça Machel and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have been longterm advocates for Girls Not Brides, a global initiative to end child marriage. Recently, Global Shaper Rebeca Gyumi made history in Tanzania by managing to pass a landmark court ruling against child marriage. Leading change under 30 is possible.
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