Experts have predicted that internet usage on mobile phones will increase 20-fold in the next five years in Africa, which is double the rate of growth in the rest of the world. This was one of the conclusions reached at the Rise of Africa plenary session at the fifth annual Global Technology conference organized by DHL in Dubai.
During this period, Africa is expected to record growth in e-commerce and mobile payments, and technology segments such as mobile phones which are still growing at a rapid pace.
Rob Siegers, President, Global Technology Sector, DHL said: “The technology sector is a highly dynamic industry and the pace of change is rapid. We currently see two distinct trends: the advance of new technologies, such as the Internet of Things, big data, cloud computing and others which are changing business models as technology companies are looking to enhance their products by building services around them – and an increasing focus on tapping into growth in emerging nations While growth is slowing in some of the traditional markets, emerging nations are gaining importance for technology companies, and Africa is of particular interest to many of our customers. At this year’s conference, we aimed to connect customers with experts who are already successfully running their businesses in Africa. Our plenary sessions and workshops were tailored to give unique insights into doing business on the continent and facilitate knowledge sharing and networking.”
Charles Brewer, Managing Director of DHL Express Sub Saharan Africa adds, “We had a team of logistics experts from across Africa on hand to facilitate knowledge sharing and networking, demonstrating that DHL is a strong partner to the technology sector across the continent. We have been in Africa for 37 years and are well positioned to support customers with their end-to-end supply chains and tailor-made logistics solutions to help them overcome challenges and tap into the continent’s tremendous growth opportunities.”
