• South Africa launches African Digital Transformation Center in Pretoria

• Center supports tech innovation, startups and digital skills across Africa

• Initiative part of ITU network with seven acceleration centers in Africa

South Africa inaugurated the African Digital Transformation Center (ADTC) in Pretoria on Friday, creating a platform to promote technology innovation, digital skills and startup development across the continent. The center is hosted at The Innovation Hub, which acts as the innovation agency for Gauteng province.

The initiative aims to support technology entrepreneurs, strengthen public institutions and encourage collaboration between governments, universities and private sector stakeholders. Its broader objective is to help position Africa not only as a consumer of technology, but also as a producer of digital solutions suited to its own needs.

“The country’s commitment to digital transformation is anchored in key policy instruments, including the National Digital Economy Masterplan, the Draft National AI Policy Framework, Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) initiatives, and broader alignment with the African Union Digital Transformation Strategy (2020–2030),” the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies said.

A strategic partnership with the ITU

The project is led by South Africa’s Department of Communications and Digital Technologies in partnership with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The U.N. agency launched its Acceleration Centers in 2023 to strengthen local capacities, accelerate innovation and entrepreneurship, and improve the competitiveness of economic sectors through digitalization.

Of the 18 centers in the ITU’s global Acceleration Centers network, seven will be located in Africa: Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Senegal, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, in addition to South Africa. The centers will provide training, mentoring and support programs for startups and small and medium-sized technology enterprises.

When the project was announced in 2023, Cosmas Zavazava, director of the ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau, said the network will enable countries to take deliberate and concrete steps to unlock innovation for sustainable digital transformation.

Beyond supporting entrepreneurs, the ADTC also aims to help African governments design public policies that encourage digital innovation.

Adoni Conrad Quenum