Dive In | Navigating Africa's Digital Infrastructure with Anthonia Adenaya Huard

Embark on a journey through the digital landscape of Africa with the formidable Anthonia Adenaya Huard from Business Sweden, who brings her deep well of knowledge in sustainable development and investment to the forefront. As we traverse the technological terrain, Anthonia unveils the rapid advancement of digital infrastructure, spotlighting Nigeria's film industry and tech hubs like Kenya and South Africa. The conversation doesn't shy away from the tough stuff—addressing the dire need for enhanced connectivity, improved fiber networks, and making the cloud more affordable. But it's not all challenges; we celebrate the successes and the pivotal role that strategic partnerships play in creating job opportunities, industrializing economies, and supporting sustainable development across African nations.

Get ready for an enlightening discussion that cuts through the complexities of Africa's digital narrative. Anthonia artfully connects the dots between smart grids, fintech, and multilateral financing, painting a picture of a continent poised for development in digital infrastructure through win-win partnerships.

Transcript

Kameron: 0:00

Hey there, sam Enthusiasts. Welcome back to Kameron's Lab. Dive In is the go-to podcast for STEM students. Crafted with passion by one of your own. I'm Kameron, your ever-curious and host. Buckle up for today's insightful episode.

Anthonia: 0:16

Ready to dive in Hi everyone, welcome back to Kameron's Lab. So today I am very excited to be joined by Miss Antonia Adoniah-Huard, who I met at the LD2024 conference. So she is the one that actually introduced me after listening to her talk about the developing Africa's digital infrastructure. So that's why I'm excited to have her here today, so we can learn a little bit more about it. Before I let her go on, I'm just going to quickly introduce her so that you know why I'm excited to have her and why you should be excited as well.

Anthonia: 0:44

So Miss Antonia is a powerhouse, I would say, of information around investment, sustainable development in Africa. She has about 14 plus years of experience in government, business development, public affairs and also multilateral financing, which I will be asking her about later. She has a lot of on-the-ground experience in about 11 African countries. 70 plus companies have grown and thrived underneath of her guidance and support. She's a leader, a mentor, and I'm sure the list can go on and on, but I don't want to take up too much of her time. So, Miss Antonia, thank you so much for joining me. I'm really excited to have you. Thank you, Kameron. Have a good day.

Anthonia: 1:22

So the first question I wanted to ask is if you could share your insights on the current state of digital infrastructure in Africa and its significance for the continent's future.

Anthonia: 1:31

Sure With pleasure. When you think of Africa, africa has been a lifesaver again in technology and basically we've been seeing massive digitalization growth in Africa, mostly because the average population in 18 to 19 years Africans, early adopters of technology, of sophisticated usages, who have all-in-name digital startup ecosystems, driven by the lack of public services like education, health or infrastructure. You have a lot of telcos and banking sector, high consumer tech and high generator beta. As a result, when you think of Nigeria, for instance, the largest market in Africa, you would have also the second largest media industry in the world in terms of out-sports. In other words, in out-sports, over 2,500 movies each year. All this just in one country, right, and you can multiply that by the numbers of countries in Africa and some very hot sports, like Nigeria as the animation, like Kenya, south Africa, pagani, rwanda, and with all of this, it's a lot of organic growth that we've experienced.

Anthonia: 2:54

However, there is limitation on the digital infrastructure that is holding the full potential of the tech industry. Today they think that industry is really like well positioned and mostly in terms of investment, global investment. But imagine the potentials or the explosion growth we would experience if only we have the right digital infrastructure. And when we say digital infrastructure, we're referring to fiber to accelerate the adoption of real digital usage for individuals and companies, but on the C cables they improve connectivity with worldwide hubs and data centers. Of course, that access this to cloud solution Today in most of the states are quite expensive for your average African, so imagine some of the limitations on how much they can be online, and that's why we were at BLB promoting the fact that we need to work together with all the partners to develop renegant win-win partnerships and ecosystems. Now tools getting closer to respecting the commitment and in this case, we are looking at how do we create more jobs, create more industrialized economy and, most importantly, help with sustainable developments for many of the African countries.

Kameron: 4:20

I agree.

Anthonia: 4:21

I think having, like you mentioned, that digital infrastructure is a big barrier and I think not having it, like you said, is really like a thing changer for people. So I wanted to ask what really inspired you to focus on the digital infrastructure in Africa and how's your journey been so far?

Anthonia: 4:38

I mean with my organization which is called Business Sweden, this big trade in the West Coast where all the 50% of the government are 50% of our companies, and our aim is to support Swedish organizations in their internationalization or development making, but also working with local partners or other countries as well to achieve a win-win collaboration. So we focus on about four major sectors it is healthcare, it is transport, it is mining and it is the transport healthcare mining. And of course, we also focus on some innovation. But for us, innovation is a golden thread. All through what we do, we see tech as an enabler. We need tech in healthcare, we need tech in transport, we need tech in energy, renewable energy, we need tech in transport or in any sector. Tech is an enabler and if you want tech to be the right enabler, building the right connection, you need the structure. Hence why we focus not only on tech and during this motion in the LD.

Anthonia: 6:07

Thank you and I like what you said. The tech is the enabler, which I still agree with. What would you say would be the biggest challenges and opportunities that you see in developing the digital infrastructure in Africa?

Anthonia: 6:20

There are a lot of economies, but we see these opportunities, growth opportunities for more investment, opportunities for more connections. So, of course, one of the challenges is having the right and even environment related to the policies, enabling policies to help with investment. The most important is also investments right Finances many of these countries to make such huge investments. There is need for sovereign guarantees and that's where the multilateral development banks comes in. They have support to scale up such investment, to give financing or support with financing that are quite cheap and affordable for many of the countries that are struggling under the debt strain or how they're talking about sustainability for many of these countries, and that has been quite a challenge. Amongst the other area, of course, we need more players in the market as well to come and invest and be present locally and adapt their products to local context, work with key partners in order to be more relevant locally.

Anthonia: 7:38

Thank you, and outside of that. So I mentioned in your bio that you were talking, that you're really interested in multilateral financing, which you explained to me wonderfully at the conference, and I was wondering if you could explain it one more time for those that are listening and maybe you don't have the extra knowledge, sure.

Anthonia: 7:56

When we say more bilateral, bilateral is between two countries and what we say multilaterally means there are several countries involved, and often the case that's bilateral, it comes with some of the wheels and cup presses of one country towards the other. So I'm finding a thing that is supporting you with this project, with some of my conditions. Right. It's fine as long as it's a win-win for both parties. But we see multilateral financing.

Anthonia: 8:28

We're talking about the African Development Bank, the World Bank, the AFC, some of the AFC, the African Finance Institution Corporation, we have the Afro-Exem Bank, we have the West African Development Bank. These are banks where their funding comes from several countries as sources. So now you have a bag of money and then you have administrators and these administrators are then being given rules of engagement towards a goal of theme and for each theme, the rules of the game or the role of the administrators is to ensure that for every investment they make, it meets each of these criteria and it's actually more seamless and a rather efficient way of managing funds. And that, where we actually like working with most of these multilateral development banks because they are really relevant to scaling up large infrastructure projects around and dealing with countries Countries can act as, or bilateral funds can act as, catalysts that we're doing along, but while we're talking of scaling up with the sort of long-term investment that is necessary and cheap enough, bilateral organizations are really crucial for African development, including the infrastructure development that we're talking about.

Anthonia: 9:52

Thank you. I think that you also answered my next question, which would be asking you a little bit more about how multilateral financing plays a part in Africa's digital infrastructure development. I think you answered that one already, so thank you, but I did want to ask you a bit more. So I'm coming from more of like a tech background, so I wanted to ask more about what kind of emerging technologies or maybe trends that you might see coming out of it as you're building up this infrastructure.

Anthonia: 10:17

Yeah, so FinTech is quite huge again. Like I mentioned at the beginning of my introduction, we see a sparsing growth already in the tech industry in Africa, mostly because these technologies, some classes, adapt to what is already existing elsewhere but needs to local context. For instance, we have this company that has the smart grid, the lead metering system, not that it has an assistant before, but when they're done they adapt it to African context, in that in many of the African countries, at the time you're not on the national grid, you have your own generator, you're generating your own electricity. So how do you take this smart grid that is already existing to ensure that it actually gives you, it launches the tool to an electricity consumption if it's when you're connected to the national grid and when you're connected to your own source of energy or power and giving you how to maximize both in real time? Now this is adaptation, right. And then, of course, adapting to creating new technologies and leak-frogging. And none of this is because today in Africa, most of these basic technologies or basic infrastructures for in-health care, in education and all that do not exist and each person would need to soft-sport themselves and be self-sufficient. So we see a lot of trends coming from Pintak in terms of increasing financial inclusion, mobile money and what-of-you. We see a lot of trends coming in from how do you, if you're bringing everyone on board in terms of being able to transfer money real-time from one application to another, we? Then there comes the problem with the Chinese use of security right. So have a security. That's also a trend to grow in, Also in Africa, although we have a lot of in many, many countries.

Anthonia: 12:25

You have rapid urbanization right More than 5% in many of the major cities. We still have a huge percentage of the population in the rural areas. So how do they access technology? Most of them already have access to technology with their mobile phones or smart phones, so how do they access the basic infrastructures like healthcare? So we're talking like edutect, we're talking about healthcare, so it's a lot of how do we provide the basic amenities or facilities, using technology as an enabler, as a facilitator. So there are a lot of trends meeting the needs and that's how you adapt or be renovated and, while, of course, being successful, it's looking for the need and trying to meet those needs while also be renovated. Yeah.

Anthonia: 13:24

Very interesting. I think it kind of also links back to what you mentioned before. So it's just like being a win-win situation. Everything seems to be very connected, which is really exciting to learn about.

Anthonia: 13:34

It can be a social, an NGO, a non-governmental organization, a social perennial, an entrepreneur, and so stabbing the good of the society while making money. It doesn't have to be either, or that's the only way we can be sustainable. There has to be something that is for everyone. It has to be a win-win partnership, both for the investor and for the pre-co-benefiting as well.

Anthonia: 14:01

Thank you, I guess, coming from the student side, I wanted to ask what advice you can give to younger professionals who are interested in contributing to this development of Africa's digital infrastructure. Might be interested in getting involved.

Anthonia: 14:13

First, knowledge. You need to see knowledge and I'm really happy to see platforms like Kiosk Camera and opening the eyes of the students out there on what opportunities there are. It was maybe you have opportunities through your thesis to want to also add the attributes to develop rents or at least see how you can also be part of that growth. So, most importantly, I think it's looking for information, checking where you can be relevant and perhaps also being part of companies that are already acting on the market, and maybe you might want to be part of organizations like ours in future, connecting the bridges up to those bridges between Europe and Africa to develop win-win partnerships. And, from my perspective, I think the most important is also for students to see how you can really intention this such organizations together, the first hand insights into how things are, to be able to, of course, decide they all this fixie, or at least a minute of all this.

Anthonia: 15:34

Thank you. I think that all that, it all seems to be linking back to just having that knowledge, having that access and then just being involved. So, like you said before, it all seems to be very linked together. Well, it's exactly. I guess my last question was just to ask you a little bit more about your vision for the future. So I know this one is quite broad, but if you could give me a high level of just like your vision for the future of digital infrastructure in Africa and what kind of steps you think we might be able to take or maybe necessary, I should say to achieve that, oh, wow, vision.

Anthonia: 16:05

I would love an Ethiopian society, but that doesn't exist right. But it's starting and I think we're already working together. There are several organizations like ours also working towards ensuring a relevant development through win-win partnerships and online. Come this year, come the year 2025, we expect to grow some at least 10%, if provided there are certain infrastructure just a little more infrastructure. So I invested and that would mean cascading the growth that we will see.

Anthonia: 16:44

First, imagine it's already more and more investment in infrastructure. It means more people have access to fast internet right. More services than these, like 5G connection, can be provided. More creation and jobs are emerging to scale and growth and do the economic, social and environmental impacts right, and that's what I'm very keen about. One is being more development, but this can only happen through having the right strategies and that's in local context, getting the right systems or partners, as we are doing in every engagement that we commit to. We have those issues like 21st century technologies. That is already doing their part, and so there's all use reprating platforms or reinventing the wheels, but first, looking at what existing platforms are there, how can you join in that growth or evolution to act as a capitalist or be part of the chain, maybe the new chain To get us closer to our respective SDG goals, part of which, of course, is things related to environmental, social and economic impacts.

Anthonia: 18:19

Thank you so much. I think I learned a lot today about just not thinking it's a matter of like, just do they have access. It's more adapting to what is already there and outside of that, and then making sure that it's, like you said, a win-win for everybody. Well, so, thank you for explaining that breaking things, and thank you for sending so much for your time. Everyone else, I hope you enjoyed the conversation as much as I did. Thank you with Antonio. So much for your time. Thank you All the best.

Kameron: 18:47

Hi again, awesome listener. That wraps up another deep dive of Cameron's Lab. Dive in. Before you dive back into your day, take a second to hit that subscribe button so you never miss an episode. If you just have some good old STEM fun, follow me on my socials Instagram, tiktok and YouTube at Cameron's Lab and remember every episode is a new adventure and we've got some really dive lined up for you. So until next time, stay curious and keep it going.