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With its digital geopolitics, the European Union is pursuing a regulatory approach that prioritises data protection and privacy and harmonises innovation and market orientation with the premises of sustainable development. But to what extent is this model also attractive and suitable for the rapidly developing countries of the Global South? 

A follow-up study of the evaluation of Belgium's Digital for Development (D4D) strategy and projects (new/ongoing) was conducted in response to the Covid-19 crisis and examined D4D developments within the context of the pandemic. The aim of this follow-up study is to draw lessons from current experiences. This will allow for a better understanding of the impact of the crisis on digitalisation strategies and project implementation in partner countries.

Although studies have found that increasing 4G coverage in Africa can cut poverty by up to 4.3%, the uptake of 4G technology has been slow across the continent of Africa as many people only have access to older 2G and 3G systems. These challenges contribute to the already existing digital divide: between those using old and inferior technology and those with access to newer and superior technology.

In response, this report, created by Africa.connected (Vodafone and Vodacom), proposes four key partnership-led recommendations to make 4G more accessible across the African continent, with the ultimate objective of reducing connectivity costs for vulnerable groups.

GIZ and its implementing partner Ministry of ICT and Innovation (MINICT), are jointly implementing the Project Digital Solutions for Sustainable Development (DSSD) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). This project was commissioned in 2017 for a timeframe of three years (January 2017 – December 2020), and was subsequently extended for another period of three years (January 2021 – December 2023). During this period the Digital Transformation Center Kigali was established as an innovation hub, event and coworking space for partners and the local IT ecosystem.

The COVID-19 pandemic opened the world's eyes to new possibilities in the healthcare space. 5G technology has the potential to streamline communication and data sharing between hospitals, clinics and within departments, as well as make medical services more easily accessible to patients in remote locations.

Against this backdrop, Africa.connected (Vodafone and Vodacom) have prepared a report on access to the digital health ecosystem in Africa. Featuring multiple case studies, this report showcases how connectivity can improve the reach of vaccination schemes, help parents provide better care for young children and babies, and even save lives.

This report examines the role that digital technologies and online solutions can play in preventing, reducing, and eliminating child, early, and forced marriages (CEFM).  Based on an in-depth literature review and key informant interviews, it examines the ways in which Plan International Asia-Pacific Regional Hub (APAC) and other child-rights based development organisations have integrated digital technologies in their programmatic and influencing approaches towards ending CEFM in the region.

In this 45-minute session, experts explore three different connectivity solutions and discuss how to introduce these or similar initiatives in different fields of work.

Policy paper on how technology can generate different forms of intelligence to improve development decisions.

A National Research and Education Network (NREN) is a dedicated internet infrastructure and service provider to the research and educational communities within a country. The EU co-funded project AfricaConnect3 project presents a case study to explore the impact of the NREN in Uganda in the field of healthcare and telemedicine for the local community.