OCAF 2205 - Africa's digital transition: investment strategies, public policies and social transformation

This is a course to familiarize students with the evolving digital ecosystem in Africa and in the process introduce them to critical thinking and rigorous approaches to policy development and investment decision making related to the digital sector.

The number of mobile broadband subscriptions in Africa has gone from less than 20m in 2010 to half a billion today. Riding this trend is a broader digital transition including the deployment of digital government services and a dynamic ecosystem of private sector startups, digital services, and platforms. This course explores the remarkable story of the growth of the African digital sector and the subsequent transformation of the African economy from its roots in past history to its current form. The course starts with a focus on the history of the growth of the telecommunications and internet sector from the first mobile operators in Africa in the 1990s to present day helping students understand how each new wave of infrastructure and innovation built on what came before and paved the way for what came after.

In addition to the history we will also spend time understanding current dynamics and issues including emerging technologies like stablecoins and AI.

Along the way we will focus on three key areas of understanding: government regulations and policy, business models and economic incentives, and the experiences of ordinary people and businesses as they navigate as users or non-users. While policy making is often the first priority for many students, one cannot successfully design policy in an area as complex as the digital economy without a solid understanding of the other two areas.

The class invites students to analyze some keeper questions around digital transformation: What government policies are critical in sustaining this growth? What commercial and technology innovations were needed to make smartphones and connectivity affordable to so many people? What kinds of capital investment funded the growth? What are the potential consequences for poverty alleviation and economic growth? How should African governments and investors position vs AI, cryptomoney, IoT, and other emerging technologies?

The course will feature policy analysis case studies, class discussions of important writings from the literature, and writing an investment memo to help students develop tools to understand the private sector perspective.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Identify and assess major business model innovations that are digitizing the African economy.
• Develop an informed view on history and current landscape of the African telecoms and digital sector.
• Identify and assess major government policy interventions in the African telecoms sector and digital sector.
• Develop a range of tools that will be applicable in forming and analyzing government and donor policy and developing private sector strategies as it relates to technology industries.

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

• Research & Analysis: Conduct research on a specific topic using empirical and theoretical material and drawing upon various sources and data (qualitative and quantitative). Strengthen your ability to assess data sources and to develop fact-based policy recommendations,
• Critical thinking: Acquire an informed and critical vision of migration issues allowing you to participate in public and professional debates regarding connected policies
• Oral and written communication: Communicating effectively and adequately, based on clear facts and data
• Teamwork: Working with a group of people to achieve a shared goal

NONE

Classes propose a mix between lectures and debates aiming to be interactive and participatory. Each class starts with the instructor (or a guest lecturer) introducing the general theme or topic of the class, provides an introduction lecture and raises key questions and points of analysis. The class engage in a group discussion on some of the main issues related to the session’s key themes and readings. Finally, for some classes students will present their oral presentation followed by a student-led discussion on themes addressed in

COURSE DESCRIPTION

the presentation. Written feedback on the assignments and final test is provided individually by the end of the semester.

(i) In-class activities (10% of the final grade): text discussions, group debates and oral participation weighting 10% of the total grade.

(ii) Oral presentation (30% of the final grade): 10 minutes collective presentation to the rest of the class of a case-study on a topic related to the theme of the session (freely chosen, subject to approval).

(iii) 1 written assignment (30% of final grade): Students will write an investment memo designed to convince an investment committee to fund an investment or grant. The investment might be for a donor funded technology project or a venture investment in an African technology startup.

(iv) Final written test (30% of final grade): A final exam will consist of 3-5 questions designed to test students knowledge of key concepts and historical episodes.

• In Class Presence: 2 hours a week
• Online learning activities: 2 hours a week
• Reading and Preparation for Class: 5 hours a week
• Research and Preparation for Group Work: 15 hours a semester
• Research and Writing for Individual Assessments: 15 hours a semester
• Preparation for final exam: 10 hours a semester