Empowering the continent

 My keynote at Mobile World Congress Africa, 28 september 2021

Good morning everyone. It is my pleasure to be here with you, albeit virtually, on this first morning of MWC Africa 2021.As CEO of a leading mobile operator and Chairman of the GSMA, I firmly believe that our sector is at the heart of key solutions for some of Africa’s greatest challenges in the coming years. Let me share my thoughts and experience as CEO of Orange, which has been committed to Africa for more than 20 years and which operates in 18 countries.

Every day in our operations in Africa we face two questions :  How do we ensure our services do not exclude the most vulnerable, but instead can be used to reduce social and geographical inequalities ? How can we contribute to social progress ?

I believe we can proactively empower Africa’s countries through 3 pillars:

1 -  We should think “digital first” to tackle Africa’s main challenges.

2 -  We need a new deal to accelerate digital investments in African countries.

3 - And finally, we must prepare a trusted, safe framework for Africa’s digital sovereignty in the data economy.

I firmly believe that Africa will be able to accelerate development, build a more inclusive economy and society, reduce inequalities and lift communities out of poverty, if we first consider digital solutions. Africa's double-digit growth shows great potential, but still, the need for infrastructure in many countries is challenging. Africa needs new roads, new schools and new hospitals, with important considerations not only in financial terms but also in delivery times, logistics and organization.

Luckily, thanks to smart devices, internet connectivity and energy, a lot can be substituted. The pandemic showed how essential mobile connectivity is for our resilience and how much we are able to push the boundaries. Africa’s future is “digital first”.

In most African countries, mobile penetration is even higher than access to electricity, with people now able for the first time to pay for solar energy with their mobile phone.Through our networks, people can work, sell their products and earn an income, people can access education even when, for whatever reason they cannot get to a school or can access information about emergency situations, healthcare, protective measures or virtual consultations, leaving expensive medical infrastructures for those who need them the most.

Did you know that less than half of African children under five have their births registered? Through our networks, people can have a trusted digital identity that opens the door to public services for the poorest, women, and those living in rural areas, citizens can be informed and exercise their rights, creating the basis of a more equal and sustainable society.

Through our networks, people can continue to access countless services; retail as well as financial services. For example, 54 million Africans have opened Orange Money wallets, and our services have now been extended to offer instant loans and insurance from the mobile phone, increasing business opportunities.

In reality, the financial cost of digital development is the lowest, fastest and perhaps the only affordable cost today for Africa. In a context of inequalities and climate change, digital can be a cornerstone for progress.

Thinking “Digital first” brings another advantage for African countries today. Unlike other infrastructure investments, most of the digital investments are directly made via the private sector. These private investments boost economic development, create direct and indirect jobs, and serve as a vital revenue stream for governments.

These are not just words. We measure our impact across our footprint. In some countries, for example Côte d’Ivoire, this accounts for as much as 11% of the country’s GDP and almost 100,000 direct and indirect jobs.

 To accelerate digital investments, we need a good understanding of the real issues on the ground and a new deal for 21st-century financing models. The number of connected individuals in Africa continues to grow: 413 million internet users in 2020 compared to 350 million in 2019.

a.    Mobile industry investments have continued to increase coverage: between 2019 and 2020, the coverage gap has reduced by 5%. Orange alone invests 1 billion euros every year in our African networks, for our 130 million customers. Sub-Saharan Africa still has the largest coverage gap with 1 out of 5 people living in areas without mobile broadband coverage.

b.    But it is the usage gap that remains the biggest issue – 1 out of 2 people in sub-Saharan Africa are living in areas with a mobile broadband network but are not using mobile internet.

 Investing in the coverage gap is the smallest part of the problem. Device affordability remains one of the most significant barriers to internet access in Africa. The average cost of an entry level smartphone in Africa still exceeds 60% of the average monthly income, making smartphones largely inaccessible for the majority of the population. Bringing that price down to $30 as we have done with the Orange Sanza Touch in partnership with Google is a strong step towards offering internet access to everyone.

Taking action at an international level can dwindle the cost of devices while ensuring a sustainable investment framework for the data economy.Today many industry-related stakeholders benefit from delivering services through broadband infrastructure traditionally built solely by telecom operators. Increasing consumer demand requires heavy investments in 4G, 5G, subsea and land infrastructure. Several projects aim to strengthen Africa’s connectivity, often in partnership with international and African players. These include the “Africa Coast to Europe” (ACE) submarine cable, Main One, the 2 Africa cable and more recently Djoliba, the first Orange fiber optic network that will connect 8 West African capitals to open the region to the rest of the world and facilitate access to cloud services.

It is vital for African countries to build a new deal and include all companies that benefit from the digital economy in a sustainable investment model, to accelerate the level of investment, growth and employment.

Finally, there is a great need to ensure Africa’s digital sovereignty in the data economy, built on trusted partners and local skills.

Because Africa’s development will be “digital first”, the issues of data, security and trust are important and should be tackled today. Everywhere around the world cyberattacks are increasing against companies, people, government organizations and essential public infrastructures. No one is immune. Keeping Africa’s digital infrastructure safe is key to building new wealth on the continent by generating and controlling data.

While 15 African countries now have a level of cybersecurity that’s higher than the global average, with Mauritius leading the continent since 2014, many others are lagging behind.

 Mobile operators have always acted as a trusted partner for their customers. Our business model is not based – and will never be – on selling personal data. For 150 years, since the first phone call, the telecoms industry has guaranteed the security of communications. Trusted services and security by design are what we do. We invest massively in protecting our interconnected networks and detecting attacks. Our physical presence in every country is the strongest assurance of security for people and governments in Africa. We have a high number of local teams working in the ground in every country, creating trusted relationships.

As the world’s economies depend more on digital infrastructure, it becomes critical not only to rely on a trusted framework but also to empower local stakeholders at all levels, from basic to very specific digital skills.

Orange invests in the infinite potential of African talent. Through our Orange Digital Centers, we’re training young people and women in digital technology, giving them the tools and the skills to safely access and use digital services. We have a dedicated Orange CyberDefense team focused on Africa. The Orange Ventures Middle East & Africa Fund supports innovative businesses within the local tech scene with a dedicated team, based in Dakar.

We truly believe than digital solutions enable Africa to grow faster, train its youth, empower its business owners, and bypass the hurdles linked to the lack of transport infrastructure. It is key to meeting the many challenges that lie ahead. But to make the most of it, we need government support to maintain the level of investment and growth.We need also to adapt to the challenges of the data economy, strengthening trust and cybersecurity, preparing Africa’s digital sovereignty and paving the way for a better future.