The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the World Bank have launched a major initiative aimed at expanding internet access to around 180 million people across eastern and southern Africa over the next eight years.
The $2.5 billion program, unveiled in Zambia on Monday, also targets providing digitally enabled services to 100 million people. According to a joint statement, the initiative will benefit a wide range of groups, including women, refugees, host communities, private businesses, and public sector organizations.
The project will use a multiphase programmatic approach to combine funding from various sources, with the aim of boosting universal digital access, encouraging the productive use of digital tools, and supporting digital market integration across the region. It seeks to address challenges related to connectivity, market fragmentation, and limited digital opportunities.
Isabel Neto, the World Bank’s digital development practice manager for eastern and southern Africa, said the program would create new opportunities for businesses by fostering a more connected and innovative digital economy.
COMESA Secretary-General Chileshe Kapwepwe highlighted that the program would focus on attracting private sector investments, improving policy and regulatory frameworks, supporting project development, promoting gender inclusion, and addressing climate change challenges.
The program’s first phase includes a $10 million grant to the COMESA Secretariat and $780 million in financing for projects in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Malawi.
In total, more than 15 countries, regional economic communities, and development partners are expected to participate, working toward a shared goal of expanding digital access and promoting its productive use.
As of 2023, about 64 percent of the population in eastern and southern Africa was covered by high-speed internet, but only 24 percent were actively using the internet, the statement noted.