Vodacom champions digital infrastructure, regional connectivity at ITW & Datacloud Africa 2026

• NAIROBI, MONDAY

  : Africa’s next phase of digital transformation will require more than expanding basic connectivity.

Stronger fibre networks, data centres, cloud infrastructure, reliable energy, and an enabling investment environment are critical to supporting the continent’s growing digital economy.

This was the central message emerging from the ITW & Datacloud Africa 2026 forum, held from September 7 to 10 in Nairobi, Kenya.

The event brought together technology ecosystem leaders to discuss connectivity, data centres, cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), investment, energy, sustainability, and regulation.

Against this backdrop, Vodacom Tanzania used the forum to emphasize that Africa’s digital transformation must move beyond simple connectivity toward an integrated digital ecosystem capable of supporting businesses, governments, and communities.

Beyond Connectivity: Building the Digital Economy

Nguvu Kamando, Director of Vodacom Business, stated that Africa must focus on leveraging digital infrastructure, AI, and enterprise solutions to drive economic growth. While connectivity remains the baseline foundation, Kamando noted that the true opportunity lies in what businesses and institutions can build on top of it.

“Connectivity is everything,” Kamando said. “It is the foundation of the digital transformation we are looking for across Africa. But the real opportunity is what we build on top of it to drive Africa’s digital economy.”

He highlighted that cloud services, digital platforms, data-driven decision-making, and AI-powered systems are now essential for enterprises competing in domestic, regional, and global markets. Kamando urged technology providers to develop sector-specific solutions for agriculture, health, mining, and education, while harnessing AI responsibly to improve operational efficiency, network performance, and cybersecurity.

“Our role is beyond connectivity, beyond infrastructure. As we at Vodacom say, we are ‘More than a Network,’ driving development and enabling the digital economy,” he added.

Expanding Regional and Rural Infrastructure

The discussions also focused on the need to extend digital infrastructure outside traditional commercial centres. Aashiq Shariff, Fast Fibre Managing Director, noted that Africa’s digital economy is expanding into peri-urban and rural areas, requiring broader infrastructure investment.

Shariff explained that bringing fibre infrastructure closer to end-users improves the performance of digital services, particularly as cloud computing, data-intensive applications, and 5G expand into new markets. He called for greater regulatory clarity, the reduction of infrastructure barriers, stronger regulatory harmonisation, and better alignment of tax regimes across borders.

“The opportunity before East Africa is not simply to build more infrastructure. It is to build the right infrastructure, in the right places, supported by the right investment environment,” Shariff said, adding that East Africa should be viewed as a single, interconnected digital market.

Network Reliability and the Device Gap

From a network perspective, Andrew Lupembe, Network Director at Vodacom Tanzania, stressed that connectivity must remain highly resilient as society becomes increasingly dependent on digital services. Lupembe shared that Vodacom is currently in the second phase of its network revitalisation, focusing on deploying the latest technology and delivering best-in-class quality of service.

Lupembe also pointed out a critical bottleneck: while broadband coverage in Tanzania has reached 94 per cent, smartphone penetration sits at just 44.7 per cent. This highlights the urgent need to increase smartphone adoption so more people can access existing digital infrastructure.

Furthermore, Lupembe identified data centres as a critical element of Africa’s digital future, noting that their expansion requires reliable and sustainable energy sources. “Energy, fibre, mobile networks, data centres, subsea cables, and cloud infrastructure must work together to deliver the reliability that modern businesses and societies require,” he said.

A Collaborative Future

The forum reinforced that close collaboration between governments and private industry is vital to creating the infrastructure, investment policies, and regulatory environments required to support Africa’s digital ambitions. As the continent’s digital economy expands, connecting these diverse infrastructural layers will be key to helping businesses compete, improving service access, and turning digital demand into sustainable economic growth.

The post Vodacom champions digital infrastructure, regional connectivity at ITW & Datacloud Africa 2026 appeared first on Daily News.