The GSMA conference has opened the doors to MWC Kigali 2023, the African continent’s largest and most influential connectivity event. Returning to the Kigali Convention Centre on 17-19 October 2023, MWC Kigali convenes the industry, combines technology with purpose, fuels innovation, and advances the digital economy of the continent – all for a better future.
⌛ MWC Kigali is now just 1️⃣ day away! ⌛
Quick shout out to our Official Media Partners @cnbcafrica, @forbesafrica and @mobileworldlive and all of our Supporting Partners 🙌
Last chance to register 👉 https://t.co/nHpuinwhZc #MWC23 pic.twitter.com/g4tIqAAwbJ
— #MWC23 (@MWCHub) October 16, 2023
The 2023 event will bring together prominent figures from across the mobile ecosystem to celebrate Africa’s impressive advancements in connectivity, its growing digital use, and to engage in discussions about the specific connectivity challenges faced by the continent. It will also feature keynote speeches from some of the most influential people within Africa’s telecoms and tech landscape, including:
- MasterCard
- Wi-Flix
- Gamma
- Huawei
- Orange MEA
- Smart Africa
- Samena Council
- Vodacom Tanzania
- Take Back the Mic, and
- ZTE
The GSMA’s Director General, Mats Granryd, will present Keynote 1 on the ‘Digitalisation of Everything’, discussing intelligent connectivity and the opportunities it can bring to the African economy; provided high-quality access to communication networks and services are made available and affordable to all.
So, what else is in store for this year’s MWC Kigali?
This year’s [2023] MWC Kigali will be co-located with Africa HealthTech Summit and Smart Africa – creating a power-house three events in one experience. The event will gather all sub-regions of Africa at one event, as well as international attendees from countries looking to do business in Africa.
The game-changing summits and forums explore MWC Kigali’s four key themes:
- Accelerate Africa
- FinTech
- HealthTech, and
- Powering Digital
accelerating our thinking on how to drive the digital era forward. Sessions will include a range of high-level discussions such as how we can collectively bridge the digital divide, socio-economic development through mobile technologies and the impact of our industries on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Accelerate Africa
African tech startups broke records in 2022 by raising over USD 3 billion in funding with the digital revolution significantly changing the way business is conducted creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs, innovators, and consumers. The Accelerate Africa Theme includes a number of sessions looking at the growth in connectivity across Africa, as well as the strong appetite from companies within the region to adopt groundbreaking new technologies such as AI, AR/VR, Web3 and the Metaverse.
They include:
- The GSMA Africa Policy Leaders Forum, which will bring together key stakeholders from ministries, regulatory bodies and the broader mobile ecosystem to discuss topical issues, such as handset affordability, the investment gap and bridging the digital divide.
- Keynote 2 is a chance to hear a number of best practices and use cases for bringing governments and enterprises together to build a connected Africa from leading experts in the field.
FinTech
FinTech has revolutionised Africa’s financial sector, spurring economic growth and connecting millions. The region boasts a history of innovation, starting with mobile money, which has paved the way for a dynamic ecosystem. Sub-Saharan Africa now has over 760 million mobile money accounts, with transactions exceeding USD 830 billion in 2022. FinTech discussions will focus on the new technologies, products and services driving the industry’s evolution, providing customers with access to life-changing services and increasing financial inclusion.
Join the FinTech Summit on the 18th of October where leading figures from across Africa’s fintech space will discuss current industry trends, share their experiences in creating customer-centric propositions, and explore opportunities for future innovation.
HealthTech
Technology is playing a big part in transforming Africa’s healthcare landscape, reshaping how diseases are diagnosed, treated, and prevented. Our HealthTech theme includes a range of sessions which delve into new innovations across Africa’s healthcare industry and how these are bringing sustainable and accessible healthcare for all.
The Africa HealthTech Summit, hosted in collaboration with Africa CDC and Smart Africa, will look at the policies, partnerships, and platforms driving digital health innovation across the continent. Taking place on the 17th and 18th October, it will be a chance to see how powerful digital innovation and connectivity is empowering people and transforming communities.
Powering Digital
The growth in connections across Africa over the past few years has been phenomenal – there are now more than 1.2 billion connections and over 650 million unique mobile users. As 4G adoption accelerates and 5G emerges out of this momentum, Africa is, indeed, entering its Digital Era. The Powering Digital Theme will explore how leaders are working together to transform networks and deliver next generation services, from Open RAN to FWA and satellite connectivity.
As the African continent’s most influential connectivity event, MWC Kigali is the place to be to learn everything and anything about the future of the region’s rapidly growing digital economy. You can register for your pass here.
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