ITW Africa has officially opened in Nairobi, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, and regional stakeholders to explore strategies for advancing connectivity and digital infrastructure across the continent. The event underscores Kenya’s emergence as a key digital hub in East Africa, driven by rising mobile adoption, extensive subsea cable connections, and ambitious fiber-optic initiatives designed to strengthen nationwide internet access and support the delivery of digital services.
The event launched with a welcome note by Silvia Peneva, Managing Director of ITW & GLF at techoraco, followed by a ministerial keynote address by Hon. William Kabogo Gitau, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy (MICDE).
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Harmonizing Africa’s Digital Infrastructure Framework
Kenya’s digital ecosystem is rapidly developing, with large-scale projects targeting the expansion of fiber networks to households, hospitals, and business hubs. The country’s multiple submarine cables link Africa to major global networks, positioning Kenya as a strategic gateway for regional and international internet traffic.
The keynote panel on ‘Innovating the Infrastructure Model’ explored how the boundaries between infrastructure operators and cloud service providers (CSPs) are blurring as business models diversify. The panelists discussed new revenue opportunities, the rise of strategic partnerships, and the competitive dynamics reshaping Africa’s digital services market.
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Public-Private Partnerships for Africa’s Acceleration
A high-level panel explored how governments and policymakers are driving digital transformation across the continent by addressing regulatory challenges, regional discrepancies, and infrastructure gaps, while showcasing best practices to encourage cooperation.
The keynote panel covering the role of public-private partnerships (PPPs) examined how collaboration between governments and the industry could bridge Africa’s USD 68–108 billion infrastructure financing gap and expand digital access.
Resilience, Sustainability, and Sovereignty in Focus
The ‘Women-in-Tech Africa’ morning brought together leading female voices to share stories of resilience, challenges, and triumph in the telecom and digital sectors while spotlighting diversity, equity, and representation. The panel examined barriers to entry, strategies for building skills pipelines, and the policies needed to foster inclusive workplace cultures.
The ‘Datacloud Energy Workshop’ focused on the critical role of reliable, affordable, and sustainable power in enabling Africa’s digital infrastructure growth. Experts in this area addressed Africa’s grid challenges, future energy demand, ESG commitments, and best practices for renewable and efficiency solutions to ensure the continent’s digital expansion is both resilient and sustainable.
The data sovereignty panel examined Africa’s efforts to strengthen local control over data amid rapid digital infrastructure growth. The panelists identified challenges in data storage and protection, the continent’s approach to digital sovereignty, and the potential impact of data sovereignty laws on cloud infrastructure deployment.
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Engineering the Telcos of Tomorrow
The ‘The Telcos of Tomorrow’ panel explored how Africa’s telecom operators are transforming to keep pace with rapid technological change, spotlighting the role of AI and automation in operations, and whether capital pressures will drive the adoption of asset-light business models.
The ‘Investment Workshop’ focused on strategies to mobilize the next USD 100 billion needed to expand connectivity and digital infrastructure across the continent. Consequently, the speakers explored the roles of private equity, public funding, and institutional finance; examined investor expectations, risk appetite, and capital allocation trends; and discussed how mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and long-term capital strategies could drive Africa’s digital growth.
Kenya: The Digital Hub
ITW Africa day one explored the question, “What keeps enterprises up at night?”, to identify the critical challenges enterprises face in managing IT systems, particularly in sectors like financial services, e-government, and healthcare in Kenya.
The summit highlighted the critical role of regulatory frameworks and public-private collaboration in shaping Africa’s digital future. As enterprises contend with the demands of AI, cloud services, and digital transformation, ITW Africa provides a platform for stakeholders to discuss actionable roadmaps for scaling innovation, fostering partnerships, and ensuring the continent can fully leverage technology to drive economic growth and social impact.
