The South Africa government has become the latest African country to legislate that organisations must now move to comply with new regulations to protect identifying and personal information it collects, stores and manages. This development is in line with the African Union’s Convention on Cyber Security and Data Protection (known as the Malabo Convention) which outlines principles which urge all AU member states to respect and protect individuals’ rights to privacy online and offline.
Multiple member states have already ratified the Malabo convention or put in place data protection laws but many have been foot-dragging on enforcement except Kenya, Nigeria, and Botswana, thus South Africa has become the latest African country to legislate the protection of personal information, with the country’s Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) in South Africa that came into effect on 1 July 2020. Along with countries including Kenya, Botswana and Nigeria, South African organisations must now move to comply with new regulations to protect identifying and personal information it collects, stores and manages.
Global best practice in the protection of personal information will become increasingly important as pan-African trade picks up, and as African countries seek to boost exports internationally. However, compliance with pan-African and global data privacy, security laws and regulations can be a daunting task for any organisation. Especially since requirements are often vague and ambiguous, with little specific guidance as to how to achieve compliance. In a 2019 survey conducted by Sophos, only 34% of South African organisations are reportedly ready to comply with POPIA.
So where should you begin? Here are three simple steps to help you get started:
Start with a business privacy impact assessment
Condition seven of the South African POPIA Act (“Security Safeguards”) requires organisations to take “appropriate and reasonable measures” to safeguard personal information. The concept of acting “reasonably” is used in many privacy laws all over the world and requires a business to do what is appropriate to protect its data. Note that this does not require perfection. Rather, the business must take a risk-based approach and do what is reasonable to mitigate that risk. By conducting a business privacy impact and risk assessment, you’ll identify privacy risks in your organisation and come up with a plan to either remediate or accept them.
Prioritise your high-risk processes
High-risk processes should always come first. Start with client/customer personal data and work your way towards employee personal data. This will involve collaboration with many departments, so executive buy-in is a must; and privacy compliance should be pitched as business enablement.
Employees need to be made aware of and get trained in the security requirements of the organisation, as well as learn about the basic privacy principles and best practice, and how to apply these at work. Security awareness training for employees is one of the most effective means for reducing the potential for costly errors in handling sensitive information and protecting company information systems.
Requirements around data protection can seem tedious, but they provide the foundation for trust in the digital environment and there are plenty of resources to assist with training around POPIA, GDPR and other privacy and cybersecurity content. In fact, KnowBe4 Africa has new training material on data protection and can assist your organisation in achieving legislative compliance.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry
Regional economic forecasts released yesterday warned that the North African region is facing severe economic challenges this year such that only socioeconomic stability, social inclusion and human capital development are prerequisites for resilience and emerging from the crisis as the region will face an economic contraction forecast between 0.8 and 2.3%. The tourism and industrial sectors in North Africa are likely to be hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the 2020 edition of the North Africa Economic Outlook report published on Tuesday by the African Development Bank.
Faced with an unparalleled crisis, the region’s countries implemented health and budget measures to curb the spread of the virus and protect their populations. The economic slowdown, due to disruptions across several sectors, has had large-scale socioeconomic consequences. The rapidity with which economic and other restrictions are being lifted in North Africa is raising uncertainty and suggests two distinct recovery scenarios. The first is based on a timeline for emerging from the crisis in July 2020. The second is based on the pandemic lasting through December 2020.
Under the first scenario, regional growth would fall by 5.2 percentage points, resulting in a decline in growth of ‑0.8%. In the second scenario, growth would fall by 6.7 percentage points, leading to a ‑2.3% decline. However, economic recovery is forecast for 2021, with regional growth of between 3% and 3.3%. The North Africa Economic Outlook 2020 shows that the services, tourism and industrial sectors, which are the main contributors to the regional economy, have been severely affected by the numerous restrictions associated with the COVID-19 response.
The report suggests that the pandemic’s negative impact on global demand and the prices of basic goods is likely to increase fiscal deficits and current account imbalances in the region. In the worst-case scenario, the fiscal deficit in 2020 could average 10.9% of regional GDP. In 2019, the fiscal balance, estimated at ‑5.6% of regional GDP, exceeded the African average of ‑4.7%.
Regarding the current account balance, North African countries recorded an average deficit of 4.4% of GDP in 2019. Assuming a reduction in global demand of 7.9% and a crude oil price of $20 per barrel, the worst-case scenario suggests a deficit of 11.4% of GDP in 2020. This situation is attributable mainly to the deficits of oil-exporting countries, 20% and 19.8% of GDP in Algeria and Libya respectively. This is true also of Mauritania (17%) and Tunisia (12.2%), whose main trading partners, China and Europe, are expected to be in recession in 2020.
The report also emphasises the non-inclusive nature of growth in North Africa. Social and regional disparities, already significant, have widened as a result of the pandemic. The report recommends tackling them by undertaking structural reforms to increase public-sector efficiency and private-sector competitiveness to create more jobs. The report calls on North African countries to continue to implement fiscal measures to protect affected households and businesses. The development of the agro-industrial sector is also recommended to promote local agricultural value chains. Further, countries should work toward greater trade openness and integration, in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The Bank recommends investing in human capital and skills as an essential condition for accelerating economic development. In North Africa, adapting skills to match job opportunities emerging because of the fourth industrial revolution will require coordinated reforms of both education and training systems, notes the report. For workers still in employment, countries should introduce more efficient mechanisms to promote in-work training. Governments could consider providing grants to the private sector to create jobs for young people and women in strategic sectors. Finally, the development of the manufacturing sector is a key driver of economic growth, as it provides productive, well-paid jobs for a large number of workers.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry
With the negative impact of Covis-19 on education, a Casablanca-based edtech startup, KoolSkools has raised over $416,000 from MITC Capital’s Maroc Numeric Fund II and an angel investor to fill the gap created by lack of access to ICT and digitalization of education in the country. The Moroccan startup announced in a statement today that about $310,000 of the capital came from Maroc Numeric Fund II and the rest from the undisclosed angel investor. It is the second investment by Maroc Numeric Fund II in less than a week. They had announced their $400,000 investment in Moroccan fintech OnePay today.
Dounia Boumehdi, Managing Director of MITC Capital
Founded earlier this year, KoolSkools is an online learning platform that enables schools to digitalize their courses and exercises, create a content bank, and deliver live courses. The platform also enables schools to manage their operations including student records, attendance, report cards, communication with parents, and payments. The startup claims to have 30 schools with close to 20,000 students and over 700 teachers using its platform in different cities of Morocco including Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakech, Fez, & Agadir. KoolSkools aims to cover the entire country and help schools all over Morocco go digital. It wants to reach at least 100,000 students in 2-3 years.
The statement explained that KoolSkool will invest the entire capital in Morocco – primarily to acquire tech, marketing, and commercial talent for serving a large network of schools and students. Dounia Boumehdi, Managing Director of MITC Capital, explaining that Covid-19 has reinforced how important edtech platforms will be for education, said, “We are proud to support KoolSkools in its mission to become a complete tech platform for schools.”
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry
Morocco is set to consolidate its achievements in gender equality through the establishment of the National Integrated Program for Women’s Economic Empowerment (PNIAEF), said Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani. The program, spanning over the coming decade, reflects Morocco’s approach to achieving equitable sustainable development. The initiative aims to honor the country’s commitments at the national, continental, and international level, El Othmani said on Tuesday, July 14.
Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani.
During the fifth meeting of the Ministerial Committee for the Governmental Equality Plan “Icram,” the head of government stressed that the program will strengthen Morocco’s legal, institutional, and economic empowerment of women, in accordance with the 2011 Constitution, adhering to the principles of equality, equity, and freedom.
According to El Othmani, the new strategic program represents an extension of the 2016-2021 “Icram” plan, which aims to protect the rights and dignity of citizens and promote freedoms and equality. PNIAEF will focus more on supporting the economic integration of Moroccan women and helping them reach financial independence.
The plan is results-oriented and based on sectoral and regional approaches, the head of government said. “This should promote effective management of the needs of citizens and reduce social and territorial disparities,” he added. El Othmani also recalled the adoption of Law 103-13 in 2018 on combating violence against women. He said the law represents an “important achievement” in terms of women’s legal empowerment.
The adoption of PNIAEF will allow the Moroccan government to embark on a new stage of reflection on gender-related issues, he continued. At the end of his speech, El Othmani highlighted the accumulated Moroccan experience in the field and welcomed the involvement of various ministerial departments, NGOs, and private partners in the implementation and monitoring of the new program. Several senior ministers attended the meeting, including Minister of Solidarity Jamila El Moussali, Minister of Islamic Affairs Ahmed Toufiq, Minister of Labor Mohamed Amekraz, and Minister of Culture Othman El Ferdaous.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry
Following the institution of a legal class action lawsuit against American pharmaceutical giant, Abbott Laboratories, the legal firm representing the African interests has urged Abbott Laboratories to understand the needs of the continent in this Covid-19 pandemic. Noting that Abbott Laboratories miscalculated the situation believing that they were dealing with the old Africa where there would be no consequences for their reprehensible actions.
Bassem Bibi, Vice President & General Manager, Abbott Rapid Diagnostics EM Africa
According to a statement from Centurion Law Group, the law firm that decided to take on this matter against Abbott laboratories, “we knew the classic misrepresentation and bullying will come”. The law firm noted that they are not surprised at Abbott’s assertion that it is unaware of claims arising out of the company wilfully breaching contracts, failure to deliver Covid test kits, using politically exposed persons to circumvent contracts with suppliers (serious compliance violations), and, ultimately, preventing African governments from helping the poor at this critical time.
Abbott acknowledged receipt of the lead claimants’ initial notice with respect to its dealings in two African countries on 19 June 2020, through Bassem Bibi, Vice President & General Manager, Abbott Rapid Diagnostics EM Africa, and is now in receipt of notices with respect to claims amounting to over US$50 million in 3 countries, with other claims currently being consolidated. Responding, Centurion said that “at this stage, we are not taking more claims off the table and there is no reason not to seek punitive damages, even in African courts. This is bigger than a client, suppliers and governments. African lives do matter and do count. Abbott Laboratories miscalculated the situation believing that they were dealing with the old Africa where there would be no consequences for their reprehensible actions. It’s a new day and a new generation”.
The countries needing these supplies have a population with an average age of 22 years. Most of them are healthy with strong immune systems and therefore there is a significant number of asymptomatic cases of Covid-19. Only widespread testing could curb transmission of the virus, by confirming the positive cases and treating new cases in order to stop contamination and deaths that could be avoided if test kits were available, the law firm added.
Claiming that Abott Laboratories accepted the orders from African states and instead focused on delivering the kits to other jurisdictions once they got the products from China. Abbott Laboratories understands more than anyone that this is wrong. We do not take this case lightly because African Lives do Matter, especially when it comes to the fight against Covid 19. “While we will not comment further on the substance of the case, we will continue to use every legal means to get justice and to hold Abbott Laboratories accountable”, the statement concluded.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry
The Bank of Central African States has authorized petroleum and mining companies to operate foreign currency escrow accounts in an effort analysts have commended as a great initiative that will preserve jobs, encourage local content and help the oil & gas sector recover. The decision was made known by the Bank while making public the outcomes of its Ordinary Meeting held early this month. The authorization was given within the implementation framework of key dispositions of regulation pertaining to foreign currency exchanges within the CEMAC region.
Leoncio Amada NZE, President for the CEMAC
The African Energy Chamber wishes to salute such pragmatism and notes the BEAC’s willingness to offer the best enabling environment for the oil & gas industry in the wake of the ongoing crisis. Earlier this year, the Chamber had joined several industry stakeholders in calling on the BEAC to relax its currency controls rules adopted in June 2019.
“We applaud the BEAC for listening to the private sector concerns and for adopting a pragmatic approach to foreign currency regulations in the wake of the ongoing crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the historic crash in oil prices. Such a move falls in line with the African Energy Chamber’s commonsense agenda to help Africa recover from the Covid 19 pandemic,” declared Leoncio Amada NZE, President for the CEMAC region at the African Energy Chamber. “This is good for our local industry and for staying competitive. The measure will be a significant boost to local content development, and ultimately local jobs creation across Central Africa,” he concluded.
In its latest Commonsense Energy Agenda, the African Energy Chamber notably called on financial institutions and central banks to set up stronger dialogue mechanisms with the private sector and industry stakeholders to address current industry challenges. The Chamber notes the leadership of the BEAC in taking initiatives that will preserve jobs, encourage local content and help the oil & gas sector recover.
The Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) is made up of six states: Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, the Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry
Zindi Mandela, a mother of four and daughter of the late icon and late statesman Nelson Mandela and the late Winnie Madikizela-Mandela is dead. Until her death yesterday, Zindi was South Africa’s Ambassador to Denmark. Born on December 23 1960, Mandela was 59 years old. She and her sister Zenani grew up in the forefront of the anti-apartheid struggle as their mother fought both the state and economic hardship as a single mother while their father was incarcerated.
Zindi Mandela, South Africa’s Ambassador to Denmark
“By the time I was born, on April 9 1980, my mother knew how to strip and assemble an AK-47 in exactly 38 seconds.” These are the opening words of the biography of Zindzi’s eldest daughter, Zoleka, When Hope Whispers. Zindzi is best remembered for her defiance, which she retained throughout her life, most recently voicing her support of accelerated land reform.
Her first foray into the limelight in her own right was when she read her jailed father’s speech in Jabulani Stadium, Soweto, in February 1985, rejecting then president PW Botha’s conditional offer of freedom. Five months ago, as South Africans commemorated the 30th anniversary of Madiba’s release from the Victor Verster prison, Zindzi reminisced about the weekends they went to visit him in prison and how, upon his release, she realised she would share him with the nation.
Naledi Pandor, minister of international relations and cooperation, expressed her “deep condolences to the Mandela family, friends and colleagues”, adding that “Zindzi will not only be remembered as a daughter of our struggle heroes, Tata Nelson and Mama Winnie Mandela, but as a struggle heroine in her own right. She served South Africa well.”
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry
Samuel Hodman writes that the COVID-19 crisis, and the national responses to it, is set to have lasting impacts on the world.
These days, it’s normal to hear eager discussions about when life will “return to normal.” For most of 2020, people have been stuck at their homes, away from their friends and even their families. Most haven’t been able to go to work, to school, to their place of worship, or to holiday celebrations. Many haven’t been able to leave the house at all. And naturally, everyone is wondering when they can get back to their lives.
Samuel Hodman, author and development analyst
Seemingly, a return to normal life is beginning to happen. As the curve flattens in most of Europe and North Africa, lockdown measures are loosening. Morocco recently pulled back some of its own lockdown measures. Zone 1, which now covers all Moroccan provinces and prefectures aside from a few key cities, has allowed public spaces and businesses to reopen at half capacity.
People can now move around more freely within their cities and towns. Looking more forward, the government has begun discussing its plans to aid a gradual economic recovery for the nation.
The question “when will everything be normal again?” is on track to find an answer in the next few months, but the post-pandemic “normal” will be noticeably different than life before lockdown. The COVID-19 crisis, and the national responses to it, is set to have lasting impacts on the world.
A more masked society: The East Asia example
As early as the 1980s in East Asia, wearing medical masks was already a common practice for those who were sick, to protect others around them. This was the legacy of pandemic after pandemic that had plagued the region in the past.
After the SARS outbreak in China in 2002-2003, wearing medical masks became standard hygienic practice across East Asia, even for those who were not sick. In the aftermath of that outbreak, it became the social norm to wear different types of masks in public to protect oneself from germs, air pollution, or even pollen. Culturally, they have slotted into regional values and become a tool of protection or anonymity.
After this new worldwide pandemic, it is reasonable to expect there could be a similar change in face mask culture. In some countries, we’re already seeing the previously foreign medical mask become a normalized item. In Austria, masks have become mandatory in supermarkets, and the neighboring Czech Republic and Slovakia have mandated their use in any public space.
As of April 7, Morocco made wearing medical masks mandatory in public, and by mid-June the country had produced over 18 million face masks with a national stockpile of 15 million.
However, this may only be temporary. Debates and controversies over mask usage are already happening in the United States and France, even as COVID-19 continues to kill in these countries. Even if masks are normalized at the moment, the end of the pandemic could see society shun them again.
Looking to East Asia once more, Hong Kong provides a good example of what may happen after the COVID-19 pandemic in countries where skepticism regarding medical masks is high. During the SARS outbreak in 2002-2003, medical mask use became a strict social norm—but after the pandemic, their use decreased. Medical mask use has become less culturally and socially accepted in Hong Kong, often inviting stigmatization, teasing, and social avoidance.
It’s likely that, for the rest of the world, medical masks will still see use after the pandemic has ended. Yet it seems unlikely that they’ll become a common, socially acceptable garment—even if they are socially tolerable due to the memories of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A different travel policy
The coronavirus pandemic peaking at different times in different countries reveals a challenge to travel and border policies going forward. Consider the EU as an example. The bloc has seen its own case numbers fall, and is now considering opening its borders once more to specific external travelers. However, case numbers are still going up in many nations of North America, Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Even in countries which have contained the spread of COVID-19 and are re-opening amid its decline, new hotspots will pop up. In late June, the spokesman for the Moroccan government, Saaid Amzazi, said that the emergence of new hotspots during the country’s re-opening process would be normal and natural.
This creates a nightmarish scenario for airlines and governments alike. The plight of the tourism sector (which provides 11% of Morocco’s GDP) and the aviation sector during the pandemic is forcing many countries to consider re-opening their borders. Yet the variability of COVID-19’s growth across different countries makes this a challenge. And, even when a country is designated as a “safe” origin of travel, the emergence of hotspots could still cause disruptions and renewed travel restrictions.
In short, if the virus is spreading in just one country — or even one province — it means the previous status quo of air travel and tourism can’t fully return. Depending on how long COVID-19 continues to cause problems, the world could be waiting for a while.
According to the World Economic Forum, once the travel industry does re-open to its full extent, it could look very different than it did in 2019. The risk of infection through travel documents and other hands-on elements of travel mean that touchless check-ins and thorough sanitation may become common. Visible health measures such as disinfectant procedures and the wearing of masks, which more travelers now associate with safety, may become common as well. “From now on, health could be embedded in every aspect of travel.”
A digital revolution at work…
The unstable nature of domestic and international travel has caused issues for the business and higher education sectors alike. Because of this, digital solutions have become increasingly relevant. Remote work and remote education are becoming the new norm.
This seems on track to continue beyond the pandemic. Google and Facebook are already extending their employees’ remote work until 2021. As of June, Morocco was already preparing to formalize remote administrative work. Schools and most companies have also adopted digital solutions to keep their operations running, with these options viable even after the lockdown is eased.
As international researcher and consultant Abdellah Benahnia writes, “We may not be surprised to hear that half of a company’s workers permanently leave their offices, to work instead from home, in the near future. We may also hear that a number of teachers are conducting their classes from their sofa instead of school premises.”
The Moroccan Ministry of Education has created thousands of classes that are dependent on digital literacy, and independent groups are working to teach and promote the increasingly necessary skill.
While this has the potential to make remote work more viable, easy, and efficient, the move to online infrastructure has consequences. If large amounts of workers really do stay home, the typical large, physical offices of many companies might become obsolete. As Benahnia writes, the government is already investing in “teleworking” as perhaps a more efficient, cost-effective, and flexible approach to administrative tasks. If they prove a precedent for success, the private sector could follow suit.
… with challenges at home
A new normal of remote work and online infrastructure would certainly benefit many workers. Yet there are drawbacks to this, as Karima Rhanem writes: “Huge corporations with thousands of employees are using platforms such as IBM Jam to ensure good communication. However, corporate networks, used to secure private networks, may experience some challenges related to bandwidth caps, and must keep remote workers from feeling cut off from their employers.”
In addition to challenges in network security and employee isolation, there is the broad and worrying prospect that the work environment will seep ever further into the home.
“Many employees are gradually becoming familiar with Cloud-based tools, using startups like Slack and Zoom or established giants like Google and Microsoft in their remote home office… Big data has become more important than ever today in monitoring employee performance, predicting staff turnover, and using the most appropriate selection criteria for future recruitments,” stresses Rhanem.
If remote work becomes an ongoing standard, companies may need to conduct even more surveillance on their employees to ensure productivity and good communication. The workplace keeping an eye on its employees is normal—but until now, that watchful eye hasn’t extended into an employee’s home.
With work following the worker home, how we define personal and professional time may become blurred. How we often categorize work time and payment, by hour, may need to change when faced with a more flexible remote work environment. Even the laws regulating labor may need to adapt.
A hopeful future
The potential changes in clothing, sanitation, travel, education, and labor may seem overwhelming. But the pandemic has proven once again that even in a crisis, people can work together towards improving their country’s future. Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani has repeatedly praised the Moroccan people for demonstrating this solidarity during the pandemic.
As Morocco’s government eases lockdown restrictions, it’s apparent that some form of normal life will return. Asmae Rahmoun, a fourth-year university student, says that she now appreciates the simple things of that “normal” even more.“I realized just how much of a blessing it is to be able to interact with people regularly.”
Samuel Hodman is an author and development analyst.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry
Dr Rabah Arezki has been appointed as Chief Economist and Vice President, Economic Governance and Knowledge Management at the African Development Bank (AfDB) effective 1st October 2020. Dr Rabah Arezki, an Algerian national has been the Chief Economist for the Middle East and North Africa Region at the World Bank since 2017. At the World Bank, he led the development of the Bank’s “moonshot approach” for the Middle East and Africa which aims to achieve full internet and digital payment connectivity. He championed the agenda on fair competition, data and transparency to empower and unlock the potential of the region’s youth.
Rabah Arezki
Prior to joining the World Bank, Dr Arezki worked at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from 2006 to 2017. He started his career at the IMF as an Economist and became the Chief of the Commodities and Environment Unit in the Research Department. He provided leadership on IMF’s rapid response to the historical collapse in oil prices that started in 2014. He advised authorities all around the world on risk mitigation policies.
Dr Arezki is a senior fellow at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, an external Research Associate at the Oxford University, UK, a research fellow at the CESifo, a global independent research network. Dr. Arezki is also a resource person for the African Economic Research Consortium and a Research Fellow at the Economic Research Forum. He has been a non-resident Fellow at the Brookings Institute, USA.
He has published extensively both in top academic journals and policy-oriented outlets and is a co-editor and co-author of five books including Shifting Commodity Markets in a Globalized World. Many of his research papers have been cited extensively in academic circles and in prominent media outlets. “The African Development Bank is making excellent progress in accelerating Africa’s development. I am excited with the opportunity to work with President Adesina and the Bank’s leadership and teams to further provide top notch policy, knowledge and capacity building support for African countries, ” Dr Arezki said about his appointment.
Dr Arezki holds a Masters in Economics and Statistics from Ecole Nationale de la Statistique et de l’Administration Economique (ENSAE) – France (2003), and a PhD in Economics from the European University Institute – Italy (2006). He is multilingual and fluent in French, English, and Arabic.
“I am delighted that Dr. Rabah Arezki is joining the African Development Bank Group following an impactful career at the World Bank and the IMF. Rabah is an outstanding researcher and policy expert with extensive experience in research, policy and reforms,” President of the African Development Bank Group Akinwumi Adesina said. “His leadership will be especially important as the Bank designs and deploys policy-based operations to address COVID-19, advances policy reforms, and supports African countries growth recovery efforts from the pandemic,” Adesina added.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry
The need to make the internet very affordable across Africa has been the driving force behind recent telecoms policy directions across the continent in recent times. That notwithstanding Africa is still far from lowering the cost of internet connectivity in the continent as it ranks as the regional highest for costs and regional lowest for speeds. Boosting internet access on the continent will ultimately comprise filling a range of gaps from undersea cables, in-country fiber optic networks and infrastructure to enabling local regulation. Just as crucial however, are local internet exchange points (IXP) where service providers and network operators exchange internet traffic.
Essentially, having more local points will ensure faster traffic exchanges and translate to better experiences for end users by cutting down on latency. In the absence of local exchange points, the alternative for service providers is to pay higher rates for international exchanges as transit points for content. Websites in many parts of Africa often load slowly because the content is often being accessed from servers in another continent.
However, there seem to be a glimmer of hope in Nigeria and Kenya—home to two of the continent’s most promising tech ecosystems and startup economies—pointing to the benefits of having more local exchange points. Over the past decade, both countries have recorded major successes in localizing internet traffic as their existing IXPs have catered to higher traffic capacity, a new report by the Internet Society shows. Nearly 70% of internet traffic in both countries is now localized—up from 30% back in 2012. It’s a rise that’s reflected in the scale of growth in traffic at the local exchange points.
Crucially, localizing internet traffic has also translated into cost savings as well: Internet Society estimates Kenya saved $6 million per year while Nigeria’s savings reached $40 million annually. For their part, service providers have increasingly paid less for international exchanges as content transit points while more efficient browsing experiences have also resulted in increased usage by end users.
Ensuring a smoother experience for end users on the continent is crucial as smartphone penetration deepens just as participation in the digital economy grows. Africa’s ranking as the youngest continent globally (with even more population growth expected) represents growth opportunities for global tech companies that have increasingly set their eyes on winning over swathes of the hundreds of millions of potential customers expected to come online.
Yet, while an important component, local exchange points remain just one part of a larger, wider system required to boost internet penetration and speeds on the continent. That reality is reflected in the fact that, despite their successes with local exchange points, Kenya and Nigeria still rank in the bottom half of the global broadband speed rankings.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry
