Airtel Africa calls for joint efforts to drive Africa’s digital transformation

Airtel Africa has called for stronger collaboration among industry players, governments, investors and young innovators to fast-track Africa’s digital growth and unlock the continent’s full potential.

Speaking at the 2025 Mobile World Congress (MWC25) in Kigali, Airtel Africa Chief Executive Officer, Sunil Taldar, said Africa’s next leap depends on collective efforts that turn connectivity into productivity and enable inclusive digital participation.

“Africa’s digital decade has begun. The continent that once leapfrogged into mobile telephony is now ready to leap again – into an era where every byte of data fuels productivity and every connection builds prosperity,” said Taldar.

He stressed that Africa’s digital transformation will only succeed through partnerships that bring together all stakeholders.

“This requires partnership between operators who co-build, technology manufactures who equip, regulators who enable, investors who believe, tax regimes which support and young Africans who create,” he said. “Together we can build a continent where data is processed locally, talent is nurtured nationally, and innovation is scaled globally.”

Taldar highlighted Artificial Intelligence (AI) and interconnected data centres as the backbone of this shared digital vision. He said Airtel Africa is investing in major data-centre hubs in Nigeria and Kenya and applying AI to enhance operations such as spam detection, mobile money security and energy management.

“Africa’s digital future needs AI to make networks smarter and greener, customer experiences more intuitive and mobile money more secure and intuitive,” he added.

Opening the summit, Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame echoed the call for collaboration, saying it is key to turning Africa’s challenges into opportunities.

“Governments, the private sector and other partners should harmonise policies and create the right environment for innovation. This will enable our data and payment systems to flow securely across borders and connect our economies. The future we must build is an Africa that is bold, connected and competitive,” President Kagame said.

The discussions at MWC25 align closely with Malawi’s Vision 2063, which identifies digital transformation as a key pillar for inclusive and sustainable development.

Airtel Malawi’s focus on expanding infrastructure, integrating AI and growing mobile money services supports these goals, helping position Malawi within Africa’s digital future.