Executives from Huawei’s North Africa division participated in informative roundtable discussions with journalists, providing insights into the challenges and opportunities of digitalization on the continent, on the sidelines of the recent GITEX Africa 2024 conference held in Marrakech, Morocco.
The event, held from May 29 to 31, brought together key players in the technology sector. This included Colin Hu, President of the Enterprise and Cloud Business, Mounir Soussi, VP Cloud of HNA (NWCA), and Youssef Boukary, CTO of Networking Solutions, all representing Huawei North Africa.
One of the central themes of the roundtable was the challenge of connectivity. Youssef Boukary emphasized the crucial role of reliable connectivity in driving digital transformation.
“In our region, the main challenge is connectivity. We cannot succeed in any digital transformation without good, reliable connectivity,” said Boukary, highlighting Huawei’s initiative, “Accelerate Intelligence for New Africa,” which focuses on bridging the digital divide by building robust infrastructure.
Huawei’s investment in wireless and fiber optic infrastructure has enabled connectivity for more than 360 million people in North Africa. Projects like RuralStar have brought internet access to 11 million people in 3,500 villages, addressing the problem of low internet penetration in rural areas.
Meanwhile, Hu highlighted the unique opportunities for innovation in Africa, citing examples such as mobile payment systems in Mauritania.
He emphasized the potential to leapfrog outdated technologies and directly adopt advanced solutions, positioning Africa as a leader in digital innovation.
“There is a saying that Africa is behind, but this also represents an opportunity. For instance, everyone in Mauritania uses mobile payment, while in Europe, credit cards are mainly used. In advanced countries, it’s necessary to adapt existing models, whereas in Africa, there is a significant chance to leapfrog and directly adopt cutting-edge technologies,” Hu explained.
The discussion also touched on sector-specific digitalization efforts, highlighting the diverse applications of technology across various industries.
Education emerged as a key focus, with Hu emphasizing the importance of digital solutions to improve access to education for African youth.
The event showcased Huawei North Africa’s commitment to collaborating with governments to offer virtual universities and e-education solutions, addressing low enrollment rates in higher education.
In addition to education, the executives discussed the role of technology in sectors such as healthcare, mining, and agriculture. Boukary stressed the need for tailored solutions to address the unique challenges of each sector, advocating for an inclusive approach to digitalization.
Cloud computing emerged as a key facilitator of digital transformation, with Huawei outlining its “One Network, One Cloud” strategy.
Hu stressed the importance of localized cloud infrastructure, saying his company believes that “the cloud should be in every country and data should be hosted locally.”
The inauguration of a public cloud in Egypt marks a significant milestone in Huawei’s efforts to expand cloud infrastructure across Africa, paving the way for enhanced data management and storage capabilities.
Innovations in the energy sector were also a topic of discussion, focusing on harnessing renewable resources to deliver affordable electricity.
In this context, Hu highlighted the role of digitalization in optimizing energy efficiency. “Digitalization can bring cheaper and affordable energy to populations.”
For his part, Mounir Soussi emphasized the potential of artificial intelligence to drive industry transformation, particularly in areas such as pipeline monitoring and maintenance.
MOROCCO WORLD NEWS
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