As the recent Africa Business Forum concluded in Addis Ababa, if Africa is to create the tens of millions of quality jobs its young people need over the coming decade, it must pivot decisively from input‑driven growth to innovation-led growth powered by data and frontier technologies. Our 2026 Economic Report on Africa comes at a time when governments are realising that this pivot is no longer optional. Data underpins frontier technologies across all sectors – yet much of the continent’s data is stored and processed offshore, with limited value captured locally. If Africa continues to export raw data while importing high‑value digital services, it will simply reproduce its traditional commodity trap in digital form. In the end, the real question is simple: will Africa harness frontier technologies to accelerate economic growth and structural transformation, or remain on the margins of the industries shaping the twenty-first century?

Source: News Business Ethiopia March 28, 2026 08:41 UTC