As Africa continues to digitise, firms across the continent are partnering to ensure the rapid adoption of digital solutions. The latest to do so are the Smart Africa alliance and Orange Middle East and Africa. Together, the institutions are looking to accelerate digital transformation and the creation of sustainable jobs for Africans through advocacy, knowledge sharing and assessing government digital maturity.
Both organisations have a lot of influence when it comes to digital transformation. Orange is recognised for its commitment towards digital inclusion and its knowledge in the innovation field. Meanwhile, Smart Africa is empowered by a bold and innovative commitment by African Heads of State to accelerate sustainable socio-economic development on the continent.
Lacina Koné, CEO of Smart Africa, commented on the agreement stating: “Empowering African citizens, young people especially, to equip them for the jobs of the future has been key to our digital transformation efforts. Joining efforts with Orange will expedite our collective efforts in this regard.”
Training youth and women to support their employability in new digital professions is a priority for both institutions. This will be done through their digital skills development programs namely Smart Africa Digital Academy (SADA) and the Orange Digital Center (ODC) network, present in 16 countries in Africa and the Middle East and six European countries.
“This partnership will contribute to the objective shared between Smart Africa and Orange namely to develop the digital skills of the African youth, especially women, while supporting innovative entrepreneurship.” – Jérôme Hénique
Both the SADA and the ODC are dedicated to offering digital skills training to diverse audiences. Together they aim to enhance entrepreneurship in the region. Both want to accelerate innovation and financing capacities for entrepreneurs in priority sectors. These include environment, e-agriculture, e-health, and e-commerce to name a few.
Combining powers
ODC brings together in a same physical structure a set of free programs open to all. This ranges from digital training for young people and support for entrepreneurship to acceleration and investment in startups.
SADA is the driving vehicle for implementing Smart Africa’s digital skills initiatives, aiming to empower African citizens to embrace digital transformation and equip them to innovate and compete on a global scale.
Through their programs, the two organisations will work together to encourage the creation of innovative digital solutions. This is in response to local challenges and thus contributes to the sustainable development of the continent.
Jérôme Hénique, CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa, added: “This partnership will contribute to the objective shared between Smart Africa and Orange namely to develop the digital skills of the African youth, especially women, while supporting innovative entrepreneurship. This is part of our commitment to actively contribute to the digital transformation of the continent.”
