During the “Digital Nation7” conference, organized by the Egyptian Chamber of Information Technology and Telecommunications between June 19-20, Ashraf Gaber, Regional Director Editorial and Publications for Africa and the Nordic region, met Dr. Felix Mutati, the Minister of Technology and Science, Zambia.
Zambia, located in southern Africa, has rapidly embraced technology over the last two decades, making tremendous progress in digital transformation and innovative initiatives. The interview with Dr. Felix Mutati covers Egyptian investment in Zambia, COMESA and the A.U. Agenda 2063, and Zambia’s IT ecosystem. Continue reading to learn more about where Zambia is headed in terms of technology and innovation.
Dr. Mutati: I love coming back to Egypt; I’ve been there about ten or so times in the last 15 years. It is heartwarming to see the changes in infrastructure that have occurred, particularly in Cairo. The ease with which traffic is flowing now, as compared to before.
For me, it is crucial to acknowledge progress in transformative technology. Egypt is now at the forefront of Africa‘s transition to a digital economy.
Dr. Mutati: For me, I came here to learn, collaborate, form partnerships, and attract Egyptian investment into Zambia, which is surrounded by eight countries. And, as you are aware, Zambia is the host country for COMESA. So, going to Africa is a critical mission.
Dr. Mutati: The road that was conceived was the road that connects Africa and the people of Africa. And I believe it is a path to growth and progress.
You don’t have to be in Egypt to talk to me in Zambia on various levels. We will remain connected by technology and basic infrastructure, but more importantly, we will remain connected in terms of sharing common ideas about our development agenda, about Africa being one, and all of us are rallying to the A.U. agenda 2063.
Dr. Mutati: The ecosystem is our attempt to answer the question of where we are digitally as a Zambian economy.
An assessment was conducted through one of the UN agencies, and that assessment revealed that our digital economy is at 45%. Our target is to reach 70%. So we’ve been able to craft a strategy to fill that gap in how we’re going to do it.
One of the issues, for example, is digital infrastructure. Now, in our conversation with Egyptian colleagues, we’re saying that there are two types of digital infrastructure with which we can collaborate, one of which is towers. We need 764 towers to reach 96 percent coverage in Zambia, and I believe they have a model that we could use to deploy and increase coverage in Zambia.
Dr. Mutati: Yes, connectivity is one of the major impediments to African progress. It takes much longer for them to connect. As an example, on my way from Zambia, I had to stop in Addis Abeba. The connection was brief, but when I return, I’ll depart from here (Cairo) on June 22 and arrive in Addis Abeba after midnight, with my next flight leaving at 9 a.m. the following day.
We can certainly reduce the work, but we must improve on a direct connection. As politicians, we recognize that the investment, particularly in airlines, is significant, but we must begin to make it easier to connect.
This will encourage people to travel and conduct business, which will be beneficial.
Dr. Mutati: Yes, we had a wonderful conference. And, let me say, Digital Nation7 was probably one of the largest conferences I have attended in terms of communication, information, and technology, and it was presented by a diverse group of people.
We were able to demonstrate at the conference that Zambia has a clear vision of becoming a digital Zambia, which is built on three pillars.
Digital e-services are the first pillar. The second pillar focuses on developing skills and human capacity, while the third focuses on innovation and enterprise.
So those are the key pillars, and the pillar is digital Zambia, which is why I say we have a digital pyramid.
We can demonstrate that Zambia’s readiness platform is being prepared; for example, we are addressing issues such as having an enabling legal and policy environment, undertaking reforms aimed at easing and lowering the cost of doing business, undertaking private, public-sector, and citizen programs to ensure that we have good governance and the rules to follow.
We are also very enthusiastic, which is why we came to Egypt to ensure that we begin to collaborate and forge partnerships with those who are ahead of us, particularly in technology, which is far ahead of us.
Dr. Mutati: Egypt’s private sector is ready, which is why they want to expand into Africa. For example, we have been able to engage with an Egyptian company interested in investing in optic fiber in Zambia.
We finished a discussion with Benya Group, a large private company, and are planning a mission in Zambia for next month.
Furthermore, we have agreed with CIT (Chamber of Information Technology and Telecommunication) to hold an Egypt-Zambia Investment Forum on October 21st, where the private sector in different fields of technology, whether it’s in infrastructure, innovation, skills, or enterprise, can engage and begin to move from conversations to transactions.
They are scheduled to arrive on October 21st, so the mission’s value is that we are already harvesting the opportunities that Egypt offers, which can be landed in Zambia. So, it’s an excellent mission for me.
Dr. Mutati: Because of the eight countries that surround us, we have been able to tell our Egyptian colleagues and others that we are establishing Zambia as a southern asset hub. It is simple to expand the market beyond Zambia.
We have secure borders with Zimbabwe, Botswana, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Tanzania, Malawi, and Mozambique. That type of position is not available in Africa.
Dr. Mutati: When you look at Egypt, you can see that digital Africa is already being built. The level of technology in here is amazing. They are currently using various platforms to facilitate freight transactions into Africa, which is why we are tying ourselves to them.
So you need various building blocks in the rest of Africa and start thinking about what we’re going to start with. The simplest platform, to begin with, is trade, and one of the barriers to trade is the paperwork required between and among countries. As a result, it raises the cost of doing business among Africans and the time it takes to transact amongst ourselves, but with technology and Egypt at the forefront, we are reducing that.
Dr. Mutati: We must invest in one another because, in the end, Africans must solve African problems. We can’t always be looking outside. We must see ourselves. Let’s take a look inside, and you’ll be amazed at how much capacity, creativity, and ingenuity we have in Africa; we’re mining the best.
I was amazed at these kids when I visited the Institute of Technology in Egypt yesterday. Every vehicle manufactured in France at the technological level is made in Egypt by those who make and create solutions for the motor industry in France. This is indicating that Africa has ingenuity.
Let us make the most of our abilities. It’s right at our fingertips. We are the only ones with solutions for the rest of the world. Let us not undervalue or minimize ourselves. We are more powerful than we demonstrate to them.
First, we are working on an MOU on cooperation with the Egyptian government, because the only way we will advance in Africa is through government partnership and cooperation.
Once the government has established a platform for engagement, the private sector will follow. So we’re saying that Egypt you are here, ahead of us and we are behind.
We don’t need to waste time doing research and development. We will build on what you have already established because that is what collaboration is all about and what makes a difference; we must work and believe in African solutions.
