GITEX Global, the world’s mega tech showcase, is embarking on a new journey into Africa, leveraging a 42-year legacy of connecting tech titans, governments, start-ups, investors and global innovation hubs, to accelerate, collaborate, and explore new ventures in the world’s rising tech continent.
The inaugural GITEX AFRICA will take place from 31 May-2
June 2023 in Marrakech, Morocco, rallying the tech world’s attention to the
vast potential of the globe’s youngest continent, and shaping the vision for a
more connected, sustainable, inclusive, and tech-driven digital economy.
The landmark event is the first overseas venture for GITEX
GLOBAL, the influential tech brand trusted by international tech executives. It
was announced today at a press launch during GITEX GLOBAL 2022, which this year
outran capacity at the Dubai World Trade Centre venue to cross two million sq.
ft. with more than 5,000 exhibitors from 90 countries.
GITEX AFRICA is launched in partnership with the Digital
Development Agency (ADD), a strategic public entity leading the Moroccan
government’s digital transformation agenda under the authority of the Moroccan
Ministry of Digital Transition and Administration Reform.
KAOUN International, the overseas events organising company
of Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), will lead the partnership for this much
awaited business endeavour in the highly sought after tech region, officially
launching the “Go There” global campaign for GITEX AFRICA campaign today.
At the show’s official announcement and signing ceremony
today, Mohammed Drissi Melyani, General Director of the Digital Development
Agency, said: “We are honoured to organize this event in a continent which is
seeing great dynamic, economic and social growth in many fields.
“Morocco is playing a crucial role to assist and support the
development of Africa under the leadership of His Majesty The King Mohamed VI
and to link it economically to the rest of the world. We are deeply engaged to
contribute to the success of this first edition of GITEX AFRICA and will work
very hard to make it exceptional for us all.”
Trixie LohMirmand, CEO of KAOUN International and Executive
Vice President of Dubai World Trade Centre, organiser of GITEX, added: “The
time for Africa is now. Against a stuttering world tech market, Africa has
risen and punched well above its weight recently, with big tech investments
rocketing and start-ups funding recording the best year ever in 2021 at six
times over the global average.
“It takes a lot to build and sustain an outstanding tech
event. GITEX has a global following of communities that trust the brand’s
motivation in discovering new tech geographies and marketplaces for greater
empowerment and knowledge sharing in the new generation economies.
“The Digital Development Agency Morocco is committed to
accelerating wide scale digital transformation of its society and the tech
modernisation of the wider African continent. The unified commitment from the
stakeholders embodied in GITEX AFRICA shall amplify the African tech
opportunities and bring to forth the world’s next biggest digital economy.”
One Africa, limitless opportunities in world’s burgeoning
tech frontier.
With tech-friendly policies in a continent that is now far
more accessible, African investment is rocketing. Analysts predict the tech
market is on track to scale from $115 billion to $712 billion by 2050, while
growth in start-up funding is six times higher than anywhere else. In only six
years, Africa went from zero to seven unicorns, with four all born last year.
African talent development is also at its fastest. Global
tech titans Microsoft and Google are already setting up billion-dollar
innovation and talent hubs in Africa, while the number of people with internet
access has grown to 522.8 million, or 40 percent of the African population.
Meanwhile, a youthful populace coupled with Africa’s rapid
urbanisation is accelerating digital economic growth, with 70 percent of the
Sub-Saharan African population under 30 years of age and 45 percent of Africans
set to live in cities by 2025.
The pervasive confidence and upbeat outlook on the African
tech landscape are shared by global start-ups and investors, accentuated by the
unrivalled opportunities, global visibility and economic impact brought about
by the debut of GITEX AFRICA.
“I’m thrilled to learn about GITEX AFFRICA next year,” said
Ramez El-Serafy, CEO of Flat6labs, the Middle East and North Africa’s leading
early stage venture capital firm, and an existing exhibitor at GITEX GLOBAL’s
North Star start-up showcase.
“Africa is a rising market with boundless opportunities for
bold expansion, where start-ups, investors, accelerators, Venture Capitalists,
multinational corporations and the entire tech ecosystem can construct
sustained growth.
“At Flat6Labs, we see first-hand the impact and connections
GITEX has continued to drive for regional and global businesses. Our presence
at GITEX is crucial for us and our start-ups every year, and with Flat6Labs’
expanding footprint across Africa, GITEX’s expansion into Africa in Morocco is
just fantastic news for us.”
Pardon Mujakachi, Vice President of Strategy &
Partnerships at Chipper Cash, an African unicorn fintech platform offering
mobile, cross-border money transfer services, added: “We’re excited to hear
that GITEX is coming to Africa, and believe this a watershed moment for
Africa’s future digital economy.
“GITEX AFRICA will create more opportunities for tech
entrepreneurs to shine on the global stage, with Africa a key focal point of
innovation and sustainable expansion in emerging economies. Converging the entire
tech ecosystem, GITEX AFRICA will propel the continent forward in the
incubation of start-ups, scale-ups, and unicorns such as Chipper Cash.”
Enabling Morocco – Africa’s emerging tech hub
At the confluence of Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the
Middle East, Morocco is well-positioned to transform into a regional business
hub by leveraging its geographically strategic location, political stability,
and world-class infrastructure.
Morocco is Africa’s fifth-largest economy, the second
biggest African investor in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the largest African
investor in West Africa, while it also sits 3 rd of all African countries in
the World Bank’s ease of doing business index.
Foreign investment in Morocco is rising, particularly in
export sectors like manufacturing, through favourable macroeconomic policies,
trade liberalisation, investment incentives, and structural reforms. New
Moroccan national strategies emphasise value-added industries such as
renewables, automotive, aerospace, textile, pharmaceuticals, outsourcing, and
agro-food.
Amplifying GITEX GLOBAL’s enduring African association
For years GITEX GLOBAL has advanced the African agenda, in
2022 welcoming its most heightened participation from the African tech
ecosystem yet. This was amplified by ‘Africa Fast 100’ at its North Star
start-up showcase, the largest ever gathering of African start-ups to be hosted
under one roof outside of Africa.
In its largest edition yet, GITEX GLOBAL 2022 also featured
involvement from key African unicorns, such as Jumia, Flutterwave, and Chipper
Cash, while welcoming ministerial delegations from Nigeria, Ethiopia, Morocco,
and many more.
GITEX AFRICA 2023 will build on these achievements, curating
the most powerful innovations emerging from the world’s next most sought-after
market across the fast-growing sectors of fintech, e-commerce, cloud, IoT, AI,
telecom, and security.
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