GSMA MWC Africa will bring together a variety of industry sectors, business leaders, and policymakers with the region’s mobile ecosystem over a packed three-day agenda for the first in-person edition of the MWC Africa event which will take place from 25 – 27 October 2022.
“MWC Africa is just around the corner, and we are looking forward to welcoming the mobile ecosystem, industry leaders, and policymakers to Kigali, Rwanda,” Angela Wamola, GSMA’s Head of Sub-Saharan Africa, said in a press statement. “Expect to hear from thought leaders and experts who will share their insights on topics such as how to close the mobile usage gap and power digital transformation to drive economic growth and opportunities for all across Africa.”
Together with founding partners Mastercard, MTN, Orange, and ZTE, as well as supporting partners the Shared Value Africa Initiative (SVAI) and Smart Africa, MWC Africa will convene to discuss how technology and shared value have the power to drive economic growth for people and businesses across Africa.
Excitement is mounting as the GSMA shares the MWC Africa agenda that will explore the technology themes, including Leadership for Connectivity, One People – One Purpose, Accelerate Africa, and Fintech.
MWC Africa 2022 will host more than 120 expert speakers and 60+ hours of curated content. The 2022 GSMA Africa Policy Leaders Forum will bring together key stakeholders from ministries, regulatory bodies, and the broader mobile ecosystem to discuss among other things how government policy across Africa is aligning with technological developments as well as the policy developments needed to advance Africa to the digital economy.
The GSMA is also delighted to share that Assistant Secretary-General and CEO of the United Nations Global Compact, Sanda Ojiambo will join a panel discussion on “Building a Digital Future Together” alongside Smart Africa’s CEO; Lacina Kone, ATU’s Secretary General; John Omo, Rwanda Minister of ICT; Hon. Paula Ingabire, Director General at GSMA; Mats Granryd, Chief Regulator Officer at GSMA; John Giusti, and Nompilo Morafo; Group Chief Sustainability & Corporate Affairs Officer at MTN.
Partner Programmes and Summits
The 5G Summit will deep dive into commercial 5G services, with a particular focus on Africa, where the journey to 5G has begun, with stakeholders taking steps to accelerate the transition to 5G. FinTech, which is at the forefront of Africa’s digital transformation, is pioneering the availability of financial services and supporting financial inclusion. The FinTech Summit will explore the latest innovations and emerging technologies that are set to shape Africa’s financial services over the next decade.
SVAI and Shift Impact Africa have partnered with the GSMA to bring together the sixth annual Africa Shared Value Leadership Summit (ASVL Summit) and MWC Africa. The ASVL Summit’s unifying theme ‘One Africa, One Voice’ underscores the need for organizations to work together across borders and industries to benefit all Africans. It shows how the economic benefits of creating shared value as a collective can be achieved by close collaboration between stakeholders and companies for social progress and business success.
At the ASVL Summit, Assistant Secretary-General, and CEO of the United Nations Global Compact, Sanda Ojiambo will join the session, “Creating Shared Value – Technology as an enabler to driver Africa’s growth.”
Smart Africa has partnered with the GSMA to co-host key organ meetings during MWC Africa. Smart Africa’s co-located meetings at MWC Africa include the Council of Ministers of ICT, the Steering Committee, and the first edition of the Forum of the Private Sector. The meetings are an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss regulation and policy frameworks and advance the digital transformation of the continent. Smart Africa actively encourages and supports private initiatives and investments in the technology and communications sectors via the Smart Africa Alliance platform.
Large-Scale Impact
GSMA Mobile for Development (M4D) is uniquely positioned at the intersection of the mobile ecosystem and the development sector. Our work has impacted 126 million lives to date – and counting. We are excited to host our first dedicated “Development Theatre”, where attendees can learn how M4D stimulates digital innovation to deliver both sustainable business and large-scale socio-economic impact for the underserved.
The GSMA extends its thanks to the Rwandan Minister of Information and Communications Technology, Hon. Paula Ingabire, and the Ministry of ICT for their support as hosts and facilitators of the event.
To attend the event, you can register here.
