Nairobi. Africa’s next phase of digital transformation will require more than expanding connectivity, with stronger fibre networks, data centres, cloud infrastructure, reliable energy and a supportive investment environment needed to sustain the continent’s growing digital economy.
The message emerged during International Telecommunication Week & Datacloud Africa 2026, held in Nairobi last week, bringing together stakeholders from across the digital infrastructure and technology sectors.
Discussions at the forum focused on connectivity, data centres, cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), investment, energy, sustainability and regulation.
Vodacom Tanzania used the gathering to call for a more integrated digital ecosystem capable of supporting businesses, governments and communities, arguing that connectivity should be viewed as the foundation rather than the end point of digital transformation.
Director of Vodacom Business Nguvu Kamando said Africa needed to focus on how digital infrastructure, AI and enterprise solutions could be used to drive economic growth.
“Connectivity is everything. It is the foundation of the digital transformation we are looking for across Africa. But the real opportunity is what we build on top of it to drive Africa’s digital economy,” he said.
Mr Kamando said cloud services, digital platforms, data-driven decision-making and AI-powered systems were becoming increasingly important for enterprises competing in domestic, regional and international markets.
He said technology providers should go beyond connectivity and infrastructure by developing sector-specific solutions addressing challenges in agriculture, health, mining and education. He also called for responsible use of AI to improve operational efficiency, network performance, cybersecurity and decision-making. The forum also highlighted the need to extend digital infrastructure beyond major commercial centres as digital services increasingly reach peri-urban and rural communities. Managing Director of Fast Fibre, Mr Aashiq Shariff, said investment in fibre infrastructure needed to keep pace with the expansion of Africa’s digital economy.
He said bringing fibre closer to users would improve the performance of cloud services and other data-intensive applications, particularly as 5G networks expand across the region.
Mr Shariff also called for greater regulatory clarity, reduced barriers to infrastructure development, harmonised regulations and better alignment of tax regimes to attract investment.
“The opportunity before East Africa is to build the right infrastructure, in the right places, supported by the right investment environment,” he said.
From the network perspective, Vodacom Tanzania Network Director Andrew Lupembe said reliability and resilience were becoming increasingly important as businesses, governments and consumers depend more heavily on digital services.
He said the company was in the second phase of its network revitalisation programme, aimed at deploying the latest technology and improving quality of service.
Mr Lupembe said broadband coverage in Tanzania had reached 94 percent, while smartphone penetration stood at 44.7 percent, pointing to the need to increase smartphone adoption so more people could benefit from existing digital infrastructure.
He also identified data centres as critical to Africa’s digital future, noting that their expansion would require reliable and increasingly sustainable energy.
“Energy, fibre, mobile networks, data centres, subsea cables and cloud infrastructure must work together to deliver the reliability that modern businesses and societies require,” he said.
