In its “Gartner Africa ICT Hype Cycle 2019” report issued on August 20, the US advanced technology consulting and research firm Gartner Inc. has spotted the three technologies that will transform business in Africa over the next ten years. These are smart cities, the Internet of Things (IoT) and low-Earth orbit satellite systems.
According to Bettina Tratz-Ryan, research vice president at Gartner, the current massive migration from rural areas towards cities and the urbanization strategies are key to meeting the growing infrastructure needs, and supporting urbanization growth both on a demographic and business level.
“The impact of a smart city framework on businesses in Africa will be driven by the ability of public and private companies to automate and deliver better service experiences,” she said.
With regard to IoT, Jeffrey Mann who is also research vice president at Gartner believes that the technology offers various opportunities for very innovative types of applications. He said, although Africa does not have huge capital investments, it has many resources to use basic technologies and achieved interesting progress adapted to the continent.
For Bill Menezes, senior analyst at Gartner, low earth orbit satellite should also significantly impact business on the continent over the next 5 to 10 years. “This technology is important for African countries as satellites can cover all remote or underserved geographies, providing the broadband connectivity critical to operating in remote areas in Africa,” he said.
While IT investments are growing in Africa, smart cities, IoT and low-Earth orbit satellites are technologies that have entered “the Plateau of Productivity” this year, the US firm said.