The race for technological advantage between countries never ends, and Africa is no different. Africa is beautiful, with plenty of natural resources, including gold, crude oil, cobalt, and platinum.
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However, technologically, the continent is still in its developmental stage. To help you understand the continent’s top tech players, Spotcovery brings you a fresh list of the top seven most technologically advanced countries in Africa ranking.
We considered infrastructure development, digital connectivity, innovation and research, government policies and initiatives, and education and workforce to come up with this ranking.
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7. Morocco
In the past 10 years, Morocco’s science and technology sectors have significantly transformed. The nation promotes innovation through research centers and collaboration between academia and industry.
Morocco concluded its technology needs assessment (TNA) in 2012. The country has primarily focused on the energy sector, with the aim of achieving more than 50% of installed electricity production capacity from renewable sources by 2025.
Under the country’s TNA, solar technologies were prioritized. As a result, 30,000 solar pumps were installed. Besides solar technologies, Morocco has also made remarkable progress in other technological sectors, including ICT.
6. Ghana
In recent times, Ghana’s ICT has proven to be one of the fastest-growing sectors. The sector increased its GDP contribution from $900m, or 2.3% of the total, in 2014, to $1.7bn and 3.6%, respectively, in 2017.
Ghana is home to Africa’s biggest tech Summit. This summit brings together many entrepreneurs, investors, digital marketers, and innovators under one roof to pinpoint and address technological and entrepreneurial issues within the continent.
5. Rwanda
Rwanda has made remarkable strides in infrastructure development in past decades, enhancing its technological capabilities. According to UNCTAD’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy Review of Rwanda, the country’s focus on ICT has helped its growth tenfold since 2020.
You can surf on a fiber-optic network within the borders of Rwanda. Plus, the country’s network courage is near 100%, with three service providers offering 4G LTE8 broadband.
Rwanda’s government’s goal is to transform the country into a regional high-tech hub or “Singapore of Africa.” The government’s supportive policies are doing the magic.
4. Egypt
Egypt’s infrastructure development supports its technological growth, contributing to its emerging digital economy. The information and communication sector of Egypt is very robust. It has an overall growth rate higher than the country’s overall level of GDP growth.
The sector’s contribution to Egypt’s GDP increased to 5% in the fiscal year 2020/2021 compared to 4.4% in 2019/2020. Egypt’s total investment in the ICT sector in 2020/2021 was $3 billion.
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Additionally, Egypt’s Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT) has a program called “Our Future is Digital.” The aim of the initiative is to train young Egyptians and equip them with the necessary tech skills they need to strive.
Besides “Our Future is Digital,” the country “Our Digital Opportunity initiative in 2020.” The initiative aims to engage small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the digital transformation process.
3. Nigeria
Nigeria, popularly known as the giant of Africa, has seen tremendous technological advancement in the past 10 years. The country’s growing tech ecosystem is marked by a surge in start-ups and technological innovations.
Lagos, the capital of Nigeria, is among the continent’s major startup hubs and companies as diverse as Co-Creation Hub and Paystack. The country has also seen increasing internet penetration, with a rising population gaining access to digital services.
Currently, Nigeria is the Africa country with the highest number of internet users. Nigeria is home to some of African technology’s major success stories of the last 10 years. One such story is about a 13-year-old Nigeria tech whiz-kid, Joshua Agboola, who just became the youngest Certified Amazon Web Services (AWS) Developer Associate in Africa.
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2. Kenya
Kenya has invested significantly in developing its infrastructure, facilitating technology integration across various sectors. The nation’s tech start-up scene is vibrant, with Nairobi being recognized as a leading innovation hub in Africa.
In the past decade, the country’s innovation and research policy, the legislative and institutional arena has undergone a significant transformation. There are many initiatives in the country focusing on innovators, researchers, and start-ups. Additionally, supportive government policies have pureed technology adoption and entrepreneurship, driving innovation in the country.
1. South Africa
For decades, South Africa has maintained its position as the most technologically advanced country in Africa. The rainbow nation boasts a well-established transportation network, modern energy infrastructure, and advanced telecommunications systems. South Africa ranks 45th in the world with 0.35 meters per inhabitant in terms of the length of its rail network.
Regarding telecommunications systems, South Africa’s telecom services market size was valued at $11.4 billion in 2022 and is predicted to increase at a CAGR of over 4% between 2022 and 2027. Many South Africans have contributed to global technological advancement through innovative and creative inventions. Those include:
- Mark Shuttleworth – Linux Ubuntu
- Multichoice (DSTV)
- PayPal – Roelof Botha (Co-founder)
- SASOL technology
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There you have it, the top seven most technologically advanced countries in Africa. These nations lead Africa’s tech revolution. Their strides inspire innovation and progress, shaping a brighter digital future for the continent.
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