The Africa Hour Africa Policy Research Institute

Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit, remote working has become an important part of business cultures across the world, including in Africa. Namibia, with its deserts and beaches, wants to capitalize on that opportunity, and attract ‘digital nomads’ to spend needed foreign exchange in the country, using a new visa category it launched back in 2022. But, two years on, the numbers of digital nomads who’ve passed through the program remains low. So what does Namibia need to do to compete for the global remote working community that boasts a market of more than 30 million people?

Guests

*Andreas Kresnel is a leading immigration expert on southern Africa, and is the founder of IBN Immigration Solutions. Based in South Africa, Andreas has worked on immigration issues in the region for more than a decade, opening two international IBN offices in Windhoek and Kenya in that time. He is the author of 3 books, including The Corporate Immigration Guide to southern Africa. Find Andreas' quick take on the Namibia's nomad visa here

*Lazarus Amukeshe is an award-winning business and investigative journalist with The Namibian, one of the country's biggest newspapers. He has covered developments on Namibia's nomad visa scheme since its 2022 launch. Lazarus was the 2023 Editors Forum Journalist of the Year in addition to being the best Business/Finance journalist. His latest reports are here. 

*Prithwiraj (Raj) Choudhury is the Lumry Family Associate Professor at the Harvard Business School where he prolifically researches the future of work, particularly the changing geography of work. Raj has also analysed the productivity of remote working and nomad visas. He is an Associate Editor at Management Science and is on Forbes' Future of Work-50 list (2023). Read Raj's take on why nomad visas can boost local economies here.

Further Readings:


Namibia’s Nomad Visa https://nipdb.com/nomadvisa/ 


A guide to Namibia’s digital nomad visa https://digitalnomadsinafrica.com/destinations/namibia-digital-nomad-guide/ 


Namibia approves first nine nomad visa applications https://www.namibian.com.na/namibia-approves-first-digital-nomads/ 


Namibia welcomes first digital nomads https://neweralive.na/posts/namibia-welcomes-first-digital-nomads 


Digital nomad visas are on the rise in Africa https://techcentral.co.za/digital-nomad-visas-africa-south-africa/233185/ 


Africa Woos Tech Talent As Remote Work Visa Trend Grows Worldwide: https://weetracker.com/2023/09/26/africa-woos-tech-talent/ 


This spectacular African country now has a digital nomad visa https://www.timeout.com/news/this-spectacular-african-country-now-has-a-digital-nomad-visa-101922 

Ethiopia is marketing itself as the leading artificial intelligence (AI) player in Africa. The country is not just mouthing off though – it has some credits to back its claim. Some parts of Sophia the robot were developed right in Addis Ababa. Several Ethiopian startups are also using AI to develop products like language apps focused on local languages. Ethiopia is covering its base on the policy side too, with a new artificial intelligence institute, and a national AI policy in the making. But does this east African country have what it takes to be the AI powerhouse while avoiding ethical problems? 

Guests

Hruy Tsegaye is a leading AI voice in Ethiopia. He is a co-founder at iCog Labs, the first private AI/Robotics company in East Africa - and the CEO of Mindplex, a decentralized media platform. Hruy is also a prolific AI researcher, and has published multiple articles on the state of AI in Africa. You can find some of his pieces on how decentralised AI can help solve development problems here.

Abdullahi Tsanni is a science journalist currently reporting for the prestigious MIT Tech Review in Boston. His work, which covers a wide range of issues across technology, science and health, has appeared in publications like STAT News, Nature, and The British Medical Journal. His recent report on the startups leading the race in programming AI specifically for African languages like Amharic is here.

Finally, Dr Taye Girma is the Deputy Director General at the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute, and is one of the brains behind the upcoming national AI policy. The Institute is one of the first such government departments in Africa, and is working on how AI can help boost the health, finance, transportation and agriculture sectors. Dr Girma is one of the founders of the Institute, and is at the center of AI research and practice in Ethiopia. He is also a professor of Computer Engineering with a focus on AI at the Addis Ababa Science and Technology University.

Further Readings


Nation Strengthening AI Technology to Modernize, Enhance Efficiency: Institute Director-General: https://www.ena.et/web/eng/w/eng_3633464


Whose Job Will AI Replace? Here's Why a Clerk in Ethiopia Has More to Fear Than One in California: https://theconversation.com/whose-job-will-ai-replace-heres-why-a-clerk-in-ethiopia-has-more-to-fear-than-one-in-california-216735


Grand Challenges Ethiopia: Catalyzing Equitable AI Use to Improve Global Health: https://www2.fundsforngos.org/latest-funds-for-ngos/grand-challenges-ethiopia-catalyzing-equitable-ai-use-to-improve-global-health/ 


The AI Startup Outperforming Google Translate in Ethiopian Languages: https://restofworld.org/2023/3-minutes-with-asmelash-teka-hadgu/ 


Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institutes Discusses Intellectual Property Rights for its Products: https://www.aii.et/ethiopian-artificial-intelligence-institutes-discuss-about-the-intellectual-property-rights-for-the-products-developed-by-the-institute/ 


African Union (AU) Continental AI Strategy for Africa: https://www.nepad.org/news/african-union-artificial-intelligence-continental-strategy-africa


A Sceptical Approach to the Future of AI and Emerging Technologies in Today’s Africa:https://medium.com/@Hruy.T/a-sceptical-approach-to-the-future-of-ai-and-emerging-technologies-in-todays-africa-d03abb04b8bf



The Future of AI Statistics in Africa - Is the Continent Really Ready?: https://www.isi-web.org/article/future-ai-statistics-africa-continent-ready#:~:text=digital%20solutions%20into%20their%20statistical,steps%20to%20formulate%20AI%20policies

Cabo Verde has always been, to many on the African continent, a small slice of beach resorts perfect for a holiday get away. Tourism is one of the key revenue earners for this small west African country, along with manufacturing and the services industry. But since 2019, the Cape Verdean government has been pushing a new digital plan that aims to position the country as a major tech hub in the sub region, rivaling countries like Nigeria and Ghana, West Africa’s tech heavyweights. But Cabo Verde, in addition to having fewer natural resources and a smaller economy, has a huge brain drain problem, with more of its population outside the country than inside it. So how will the country achieve its goal? Will targeting youths for tech training and building a fancy technology park with state of the art facilities to host start-up companies deliver the momentum the country needs?

Guests:

Uyoyo Edosio is a Principal Innovation and technology expert at the African Development Bank (AfDB) where she manages a multi-million dollar portfolio focused on digital innovation and education. She's MIT-trained, and has advised governments on their digital strategies, on the continent, and well beyond. Uyoyo is currently the program lead for the Cape Verde Technology Park Project at AfDB. In one of her most recent opinion pieces, Uyoyo lays out how African governments can tweak regulations to enable entrepreneurs to test products or services without the usual bureaucracy.

Pedro Lopes is the Cabo Verdean Secretary of State of the Digital Economy. Before that, he was the country's Secretary of State for Innovation and Technical Training, the youngest-serving government official at the time. Pedro is also a former YALI fellow and is credited with receiving several awards, including being named on the MIPAD Most Influential People of African Descent under 40. He also organized the first-ever Tedx in Praia. In 2018, Pedro was profiled by Forbes Magazine.

 

Further Readings:


Official Page - Cape Verde Tech Park: https://www.techpark.cv/ 


AfDB Cape Verde Park Project Overview: https://projectsportal.afdb.org/dataportal/VProject/show/P-CV-GB0-004 


IOM Facts and Figures, Cape Verde: https://www.iom.int/node/106721/facts-and-figures 


AfDB Agrees Loan For Cape Verde Technology Park: https://www.constructafrica.com/news/afdb-agrees-loan-cape-verde-technology-park 




Cape Verde Receives 15 Million Lean for Two Data Centers: https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/cape-verde-receives-15-million-loan-for-two-data-centers/ 


African Development Bank Partners With Cabo Verde to Boost Climate-Resilient Technology Park: ​​https://thefintechtimes.com/african-development-bank-partners-with-cabo-verde-to-boost-climate-resilient-technology-park/ 


A Guide to Cabo Verde’s Digital Economy - US Department of Commerce https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/cabo-verde-digital-economy


Testing the Brain Gain theory - Micro evidence from Cape Verde - IZA Institute of Labor Economics https://www.iza.org/publications/dp/5048/testing-the-brain-gain-hypothesis-micro-evidence-from-cape-verde

Digital disaster and climate risk management in Mozambique holds immense potential for bolstering the country's resilience in the face of increasing climate-related challenges. With its vulnerability to cyclones, flooding, and droughts, Mozambique can benefit significantly from advanced technologies like remote sensing, satellite imagery, and data analytics to monitor and predict natural disasters. These digital tools enable early warning systems and efficient disaster response, helping save lives and mitigate economic losses. Additionally, leveraging digital platforms for climate adaptation strategies, such as crop modeling and water resource management, can empower local communities and authorities to make informed decisions. As Mozambique continues to grapple with climate change impacts, digital solutions offer a promising pathway to enhance preparedness and minimize the devastating effects of environmental disasters.

Guests:

Filipe Mate is a geographer and an environmental researcher with the Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo. He is a prolific analyst in the field of disaster risks and climate change. Filipe completed a Masters in Risk Management from Durham University in 2021, with a dissertation focusing on the preparedness in Beria before Cyclone Idai hit in 2019.

Tomás Queface is a researcher and security expert. He is currently a consultant with ACLED - a renowned global conflict data gathering project. Tomás helps monitor the ACLED project - Cabo Ligado, a Mozambique conflict observatory providing cutting edge, real time data and data analysis on political violence in the country.

Luis Nhachote is a journalist and researcher covering Mozambique. He is a board member of the Forum for African Investigative Reporters and is the founder of investigative platform Centro de Jornalismo Investigativo.

Further Readings:


https://nepad.org/blog/employing-emerging-technologies-reduce-impact-of-cyclones-case-of-mozambique-and-malawi 


https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2023/09/11/early-warning-system-saves-lives-in-afe-mozambique 


https://www.preventionweb.net/news/fair-winds-climate-forecasts-mozambique 


https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262880035_Using_data_digitalization_to_inform_climate_change_adaptation_policy_Informing_the_future_using_the_present 

Algeria seemed on track with its renewable energy transition. Like many north African countries, Algeria has experienced negative climate change impacts and recognises that there’s a global shift towards renewables that it too must follow. Already as early as 2010, the government announced it would green about a third of its energy mix by 2030, and launched a big solar and wind energy program. And then, Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, and sent European countries scrambling for gas across the Mediterranean. Since then, billions of dollars have been pumped into oil and gas explorations in Algeria, with investments in the green energy field slowing in comparison. As fossil money continues to pour in, can Algiers find the will to stay focused on renewables?

Guests:

Achref Chibani is a journalist and prolific researcher focusing on energy and climate change and human rights in North Africa and the Middle East. He is currently a fellow at the European University Institute's School of Transnational Governance. His recent policy papers on Algeria's energy transition and on the future of hydrogen in the Gulf can be found here and here.

Radia Sedaoui is the Chief of the Energy Section at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) . Radia has taken part in several high-level panel discussions on renewable energy systems and is spearheading the UN's REGEND program, which aims to promote small scale renewable energy projects for the benefit of Arab women in rural communities. She was formerly a corporate leader at Sonatrach, Algeria's oil company.

Zine Labidine Ghebouli is a scholar on Algerian politics and Euro-Mediterranean cooperation. He is a fellow, past and present, with several top institutions, including the European Union Council on Foreign Relations and the Arab Reform Initiative. Zine's recent paper on Europe and Algeria's gas romance in the wake of the Ukraine war and his review of a post-Hirak Algeria are here and here.

Further readings:


https://www.thecairoreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/cr46-cr46-ghebouli-full-page-lr.pdf




https://www.mei.edu/publications/hydrogen-fuel-future-moving-gccs-climate-mitigation-agenda-forward




https://www.mei.edu/publications/algeria-charts-path-renewable-energy-sector-development


https://www.zawya.com/en/projects/utilities/algeria-plans-clean-energy-projects-for-electricity-exports-to-europe-ht6vof8w


https://timep.org/2022/08/24/algerias-green-energy-transition-an-energy-transition-diverted-by-oil-and-gas-profits/


https://www.unescwa.org/publications/energy-vulnerability-arab-region


https://www.unescwa.org/publications/progress-arab-region-decade-sustainable-energy

Cameroon really has no excuse for poor internet: Some of Africa’s biggest internet service providers operate in the country, including MTN and Orange, and the country is connected to five fiber optic submarine internet cables. Yet, internet broadband speeds in this central African country lag frustratingly. Added to that, internet costs are high, intensifying the digital divide between the poor and rich in a country where 47 percent of the population falls below the international poverty line for low-middle income countries. Cameroon’s internet affordability and quality has improved in recent years, but there’s a long way to go. In a digital world where countries are racing to deliver faster internet speeds at dirt-cheap costs, and where easy access to the internet is one measure of a nation’s development, can Cameroon catch up?

Guests 

Judith Murungi is a lawyer, prolific legal researcher and an advocate at the High Court of Kenya. She is affiliated with several institutions, including the O'Neill Institute at Georgetown University and the NGO, Internet Sans Frontieres. Judith is currently researching AI regulations in Africa and has contributed to reports on the state of the internet in Africa, including 'Cross Border Digital Policies in Africa.'

Amindeh Blaise Atabong is a seasoned freelance investigative journalist based in Yaounde. He has covered everything from conflicts to internet shutdowns in Cameroon, and has been published in Quartz and Reuters among several other reputable platforms. You can read Amindeh's coverage of the recent #ModeAvion237 protests here.

Kathleen Ndongmo is a communications specialist and a digital rights campaigner based in Cameroon. A 'Pan African Good Troublemaker', Kathleen has spoken out loudly against human and internet rights violations in the country and was a leading voice in the 2017 'Bring Back Our Internet' campaign. She was also a 2018 Fellow with the Open Internet for Democracy Initiative. You can read some of her writing on digital rights in Africa here.  

Vox Pops - Pius Ayeni, Akoko Regina, Madame Sambo Claudette

Further Readings


Cameroon Doubled Internet Penetration Rate in 4 Years: https://www.businessincameroon.com/economy/0103-12986-cameroon-doubled-mobile-internet-penetration-rate-in-4-years-although-challenges-remain




Cameroon Internet Shutdowns Cost Anglophones Millions: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/1/26/cameroon-internet-shutdowns-cost-anglophones-millions 


Camtel, Orange, MTN, Nexttel… Cameroon’s Telecoms Watchdog Doles out Fines: https://www.theafricareport.com/311211/camtel-orange-mtn-nexttel-cameroons-telecoms-watchdog-doles-out-fines/ 




Cameroon Is Being Sued for Blocking the Internet in Its Anglophone Regions: https://qz.com/africa/1192401/access-now-and-internet-sans-frontieres-sue-cameroon-for-shutting-down-the-internet 


The Number of Internet Users in Cameroon Grew by 10.6% in 2022: https://www.businessincameroon.com/banking-and-finance/2601-12940-the-number-of-internet-users-in-cameroon-grew-by-10-6-in-2022 


Digital 2023 Report - Cameroon: https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2023-cameroon




Judith Murungi, Participant Reflection on #FIFAfrica22: Effective Engagement in the UPR Process for Digital Rights Promotion, The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA),


Judith Murungi, Electronic Retailing in Kenya: Addressing Consumer Protection Legal and Implementation Challenges, University of Nairobi,  


Contribution to the Global Digital Compact as a fellow of the South School on Internet Governance (SSIG) ,