The 19th edition of Innovation Africa Digital Summit which focuses on the transformation of the telecom sector was held on Wednesday June 15, 2023 at Sheraton Addis.
“It is the 7th time for Ethiopia to host this great summit which focuses on the transformation of the telecom sector from voice to data which is undergoing major transformation that opens up new possibilities for innovation and growth,” said Belete Molla (PhD), Minister of Innovation and Technology, adding, “Ethiopia’s telecom sector has under gone major reform including liberalization and opening up of the sector. That is not all. Ethiopia’s digital payment ecosystems and proliferation of fintechs including digital payments, such as Telebirr, CBE Birr, and other products has also reached out to millions.”
Representatives from respective government offices, operators, private technology companies and fintechs from different Africa countries took part in this year’s summit.
“At Safaricom Ethiopia, we have invested heavily and believe heavily in the success of the Ethiopian market, and that’s why we have invested 1.6 billion dollars to enable the success of Ethiopian digitalization,” said Henok Teferra, Chief External Affairs and regulatory officer at Safaricom Ethiopia, while speaking at the event indicating that the company is implementing very aggressive infrastructure developing plans.

“We strongly believe that it is only through partnership of government, through the right policies, and through private sector playing its role that we can get the transformation that we want,” he added.
In 2019, the government announced a major reform of the sector, which included liberalization and opening up of the sector. To this end, Belete noted that the reform has enabled Ethio telecom to spearhead new strategies in a rapidly growing telecom sector.
“Access to mobile reached 68 million, which was around 32 million in 2019, while internet access surpassed 32 million, which was around 17 million 3 years back,” the minister stated.
“The theme “digital Africa” urges collaboration to build an inclusive and sustainable digital future in Africa. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) centralizes Africa’s digital transformation, aligning with its strategic goals of universal connectivity and sustainable digital transformation,” ITU Regional Office for Africa Representative, Caroline Gaju, on her end highlighted, adding, “Despite the increased demand, access to connectivity, reliable and robust digital infrastructure, is among the major challenges faced to advance digital transformation in Africa.”
“The biggest percentage of the population in Africa, approximately 70 percent are still below the age of 30, and as the leaders of tomorrow it’s fundamental that youth engagement is prioritized to drive innovation and entrepreneurship,” she further stated.
Between 2019 and 2021, internet use in Africa increased by 23%, with 40% of the population using the internet in 2020; in Sub-Saharan Africa, more than 760 million users have registered the use of mobile money services.