During Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Kigali, the SAMENA Council expressed a vision for advancing digital transformation across Africa and the broader SA-ME-NA region. During the session “Elevating Africa’s Voice in the Global Digital Dialogue,” the SAMENA Council CEO, Bocar BA, emphasized that Africa’s role in the global digital economy is evolving from one of inclusion to one of influence.
BA emphasized that progress must go beyond dialogue and declarations, focusing instead on co-designed, measurable frameworks that drive real-world impact. “True collaboration begins when dialogue turns into design,” he stated, highlighting the need for partnerships that foster co-creation and investments that build confidence.
The SAMENA Council stressed that aligning predictable policies with blended finance strategies over the next 12–24 months is critical to ensuring that investments in infrastructure are matched by investments in local capabilities. Localizing traffic and computing resources ensures that every dollar spent strengthens both network infrastructure and local digital services, benefiting citizens, businesses, and regional economies.
The SAMENA Council emphasized that meaningful international collaboration requires turning dialogue into enduring structures and actionable frameworks, measuring progress through tangible improvements in livelihoods rather than connectivity alone, and fostering partnerships that enable Africa to play an active role in shaping the standards of the shared digital future around the globe. The Council also highlighted the importance of maintaining open and competitive markets, supported by predictable digital trade policies, to attract both regional and global investment.
The insights delivered by the SAMENA Council have significant relevance for the broader SA-ME-NA region, including South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. These regions face parallel challenges in building digital infrastructure, attracting investment, and fostering local innovation. There is a need to accelerate economic growth and digital inclusion while unlocking opportunities for the private sector.
The SAMENA Council reinforced its commitment to fostering regional collaboration, facilitating private sector engagement, and enabling investment models that drive sustainable digital economies. “Africa’s digital destiny is not a promise to be received, but a vision to be realized together,” BA concluded. By turning dialogue into design and partnerships into tangible outcomes, the SAMENA Council continues to position the SA-ME-NA region as a hub of innovation, connectivity, and shared prosperity. Moreover, the SAMENA Council's participation enriched the broader GSMA-led dialogue, highlighting Africa’s priorities while connecting them to the SA-ME-NA region. This collaboration between the two industry bodies have further contributed to facilitating industry dialogue, aligning stakeholders, and shaping actionable strategies for digital transformation across emerging markets of Africa, South Asia, the Middle East, as well as neighboring regions such as Central Asia.
Source: SAMENA Council Press Release
