The GITEX Africa DIGITAL SUMMIT will unify 250-plus government and private sector leaders, policy makers, investors and academics, to steer Africa’s transformation into a single digital market.  Critical themes covered at the world’s most influential forum for dialogues, exchanges and collaborative intentions, range from analysing the current state of play in the continent’s digital economy, to fast-tracking an integrated and inclusive digital public infrastructure.

Lacina Koné, the DG and CEO of Smart Africa – the pan-African organisation driving the continent’s digital transformation – is a headline speaker at the two-day summit.  Smart Africa is an alliance of 36 African countries tasked with Africa’s digital agenda, to accelerate sustainable socio-economic development on the continent and usher Africa into the knowledge economy through affordable access to broadband and the use of ICTs.

 “I am pleased to see GITEX coming for the first time to Africa, the land of all digital opportunities,” said Kone, who will be part of a panel discussion titled: ‘Uniting Towards One African Market,’ adding that Smart Africa aims to achieve an inclusive multi-stakeholder approach that encourages innovation through data sharing and cross-border data flows while protecting individuals’ rights.  “We look forward to promising insightful exchanges at GITEX Africa where businesses will meet and decisions will be made.”