Lender backs Smart Africa’s Digital Academy with $20M grant

• Smart Africa Digital Academy (SADA) seeks to bridge the digital skills gap in African countries, enhancing employability and meeting the evolving talent requirements of Africans.
• Since its inception, SADA has provided training to over 7,000 beneficiaries across 35 African countries, covering a wide range of digital transformation topics.
• Smart Africa’s goal is to transition the continent into a knowledge economy by ensuring affordable access to broadband and promoting the use of ICTs.

The World Bank is partnering with Smart Africa to accelerate the expansion of the Smart Africa Digital Academy (SADA) from a national to a regional focus as part of the Western Africa Regional Digital Integration Program (WARDIP). This partnership aims to advance regional integration of digital markets through a $20 million grant for 5 years.

The focus of this partnership is to expand the existing national-level SADA initiative to a regional level as part of WARDIP. This expansion aims to enhance regional integration of digital markets, creating a more connected and prosperous Africa.

Mr. Lacina Koné, CEO of Smart Africa, said, “At the core of digital transformation lies the imperative to bridge the digital skills gap among our continent’s current and future workforce. Today, I am delighted to announce that SADA, our capacity-building platform, is poised to achieve a new milestone, thanks to our key development partner, The World Bank.”

By leveraging the existing SADA implementation and the AReg4DT program, this scale-up will empower a new generation of policymakers and regulators across Africa.

Smart Africa is an alliance of 39 African countries

Smart Africa is a coalition comprising 39 African countries, international organizations, and global private sector entities dedicated to advancing Africa’s digital agenda. This alliance has been empowered by a pioneering commitment from African Heads of State to accelerate sustainable socio-economic development on the continent.

Smart Africa’s goal is to transition the continent into a knowledge economy by ensuring affordable access to broadband and promoting the use of ICTs.

One of the key objectives of the latest initiative is to equip policymakers and regulators with the necessary knowledge and skills to harness the potential of green and inclusive digital transformation.

This will be achieved through innovative approaches to policy and regulation, which are essential for driving sustainable development and economic growth. By establishing a Single Digital Market in Africa, this initiative aims to create a more competitive and inclusive digital economy.

To achieve these goals, the scale-up will target 30,000 unique policymakers and decision-makers from all African countries. Importantly, the initiative aims for a 40 percent female participation rate, underscoring a commitment to gender equality and empowerment.

By ensuring that women are actively involved in shaping digital policies and regulations, this initiative will contribute to creating a more inclusive and diverse digital ecosystem.

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SADA bridging the digital skills gap in African countries

Launched by the Smart Africa Alliance with an initial seed funding of approximately $30,000, the SADA embarked on its journey with the first implementation of online training for policymakers and decision-makers in August 2020.

Supported by grants from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (BMZ/GIZ), SADA has since made significant strides in advancing digital skills and fostering a dynamic learning ecosystem across Africa.

SADA’s primary objective is to bridge the digital skills gap in African countries, enhancing employability, and meeting the evolving talent requirements of African citizens. Since its inception, SADA has provided training to over 7,000 beneficiaries across 35 African countries, covering a wide range of digital transformation topics.

“DTfA/WARDIP is a crucial step toward an interconnected, innovative, and inclusive future for West Africa. Beyond shaping a digital landscape, it aims to foster regional integration through collaboration and strategic investments,” said Boutheina Guermazi, World Bank Director for Regional Integration for Africa and the Middle East.

“It will break down barriers, cultivate a dynamic digital ecosystem, and empower local communities and businesses to thrive in the digital age”.

Competency-based skills training

As the SADA implementation gets underway, its focus is shifting towards competency-based skills training. This approach aims to create a pipeline of talented individuals ready to enter the job market in Africa and beyond.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgent need to integrate ICT and digital skills into Africa’s educational system. SADA is responding to this need by developing a training portfolio for teachers and children, emphasizing Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) education.

SADA recognizes the diverse digital skilling needs across Africa and has identified five main target groups. These include policymakers and decision-makers, youth and entrepreneurs, teachers and students, digital experts, and the general public.

SADA’s approach involves a multifaceted intervention strategy tailored to each target group. By federating existing initiatives and leveraging the Smart Africa Alliance’s convening power, SADA collaborates with countries, international organizations, and private sector entities such as the World Bank, ITU, BMZ, GIZ, IEEE, GSMA, USTTI, and major tech companies to co-create and implement effective solutions.