In recent years, Ghana's digital ecosystem has been making headlines.
And with good reason: in 2019, the GDP of the digital sector
grew by 46.5% in Ghana, compared to just 4.2% in 2017. This development has been driven by an increasing number of players committing to digital technology in a politically stable country experiencing rapid economic growth.
Jack Dorsey's network sets up in Accra
Since the giant Google set up an artificial intelligence research center in 2019, Ghana has been attracting attention from both foreign and Ghanaian digital companies. The country is a real gateway to West Africa.
Other leaders have also chosen to set up shop in the capital of Accra, such as Twitter, which officially announced last April that it was launching its activities on the continent with Ghana as its bridgehead. With an increasingly connected population, Africa seems full of promise for the company led by Jack Dorsey.
Ghana, the first African country to seek opportunities in cryptocurrency
Following in the footsteps of powers such as China and the United Kingdom, Ghana is now seeking opportunities related to the development of its digital currency. The Ghanaian Central Bank recently announced that it is involved in a project to create the e-cedi, a cryptocurrency with multiple benefits for consumers, particularly in terms of money transfers. A German company has been chosen to develop this digital currency with the ultimate goal of getting financial institutions, online platforms, e-commerce sites, and all internet users to use this cutting-edge currency. On a continent where the population remains largely underserved by banks, the e-cedi aims to enable financial inclusion for as many people as possible and to counteract the influence of cryptocurrencies from abroad.
Accra hosts the Africa Digital Forum
On August 25, the Africa Digital Forum took place in Accra, the capital of Ghana. Organized by AIDEC Consultancies International Limited, the event brought together all the key players in the political and economic spheres to discuss the opportunities and main challenges of digital technology in Africa.
All these initiatives could well accelerate the digital boom in the sub-region.