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African Entrepreneurs: Africa’s Digital Economy to Contribute More Than 5% of the Continent’s GDP by 2025

African leaders and entrepreneurs, at a symposium held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, called for leveraging digital technologies for economic growth and improved public services, with a focus on data governance and public-private partnerships, to ensure Africa’s digital future is built collaboratively and sustainably.

Africa’s digital economy is experiencing unprecedented momentum and is expected to contribute more than 5% of the continent’s GDP by the end of 2025. With more than 60% of its population under the age of 25 and growing internet penetration, the continent is poised to overcome traditional development challenges through innovations in mobile financial services, agritech, and healthtech.

The event, titled “Towards Digital Africa: Inspiring Action, Accelerating Growth, and Accelerating Impact,” was held at Nasdaq MarketSite, the commercial marketing arm of Nasdaq, on the sidelines of the 2025 United Nations General Assembly in New York.

In her address to the gathering, the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Salma Malika Haddadi, commended the Africa Forward Leaders Symposium, led by Ms. Hannah Awuku, noting that the world stands at a crossroads of Africa’s digital destiny, adding that the African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa (2020-2030) helps make this transformation a reality.

Ambassador Malika noted, “By 2030, we aim to create a unified African digital market that improves the lives of our people, accelerates regional integration, and ensures that Africa is not just a consumer of digital technologies, but also a creator and innovator in the global digital space.”

The African Union official also acknowledged a critical challenge: the fragmentation of frameworks, policies, and standards across the continent, noting that this fragmentation creates barriers rather than bridges, limiting cross-border cooperation and preventing companies from realizing the full potential of Africa’s digital market.

The Vice President emphasized that “the African Union Commission is addressing this challenge by developing a comprehensive infrastructure that coordinates our continental approach.”

For her part, Hannah Awuku, Founder and Executive Director of the Forward Africa Leaders Forum, who delivered a brief remark to officially kick off the dialogue, said that Forward Africa is not just a seminar, but a movement dedicated to advancing Africa’s digital ecosystem through strategic partnerships, bold investments, and inclusive innovation.

“Our goal is to mobilize capital, foster cross-border collaboration, and showcase local solutions that drive growth from Lagos to Nairobi, from Accra to Cape Town, and our meeting comes at a particularly opportune time,” she continued.

Joining other participants, Samaila Zubairu, President and CEO of the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), emphasized the need for Africa to succeed in building a vibrant digital economy.

He added, “The digital economy is not optional for Africa. It is vital. It is the backbone that will allow our entrepreneurs to innovate, our companies to compete, and our youth to create the jobs of tomorrow.”

He also explained that at the African Finance Corporation, he witnessed this potential firsthand when the institution supported the MainOne broadband project. Today, MainOne operates financial services, e-commerce, education, and creative industries across the region and was acquired by Equinix, a global leader in digital infrastructure. This demonstrates Africa’s ability to build world-class assets—assets that attract global capital and create opportunities at scale. He added, “If we act quickly, Africa will not only consume technology, but will produce and export it, shaping the global value chains of the future.”

For his part, Alex Apau Dady, CEO of KGL Group and former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, began his keynote address with a bold challenge: “The challenge we face is not the possibility of change, but rather its speed and comprehensiveness. I believe the solution lies in the power of partnerships—true, strategic public-private partnerships that unite innovation, capital, and capacity to execute.”