Introduction Digital technologies are set to shape African economies and unleash economic growth opportunities, including opening new markets for the United States and other partners, in the coming years. Within this context, the United States launched the Digital Transformation with Africa Initiative (DTA) in December 2022 to advance U.S.-Africa digital collaboration. 1 The DTA is one of the signature initiatives resulting from the U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa, released in August 2022. 2 It also complements the African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa, the continent’s bold agenda for digitally enabled socioeconomic development. 3 The DTA seeks to boost digital collaboration in three interdependent pillars—digital economy and infrastructure, human capital development, and an enabling environment—to be delivered through a whole-of-government approach bolstered by a financial pledge of over $800 million (see figure 1). While the DTA is a timely and promising initiative, its vast potential will go unrealized unless its important mission is translated into targeted action. The following three proposals would help translate the DTA from a powerful idea into transformative action. To reduce Africa’s digital divide, the DTA should expand national backbone networks, upgrade and extend mobile networks, and support efforts to manufacture affordable smartphones locally. To […]
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