Connected Africa Summit 2025

The Connected Africa Summit 2025, held from May 26 to 29 at the Diamond Leisure Beach & Golf Resort in Diani, Mombasa, marked a defining moment in Africa’s digital transformation journey. Hosted under the theme “The Digital Journey: From Vision to Reality,” the 14th edition of the Connected Summit brought together ICT ministers, policymakers, innovators and private sector leaders to accelerate the continent’s progress from digital ambition to actionable outcomes.

The summit was graced by key dignitaries, including Hon. Emma Theofelus, Minister of Information and Communication Technology of Namibia; Hon. Veronicah Nduva, Secretary General of the East African Community; ministerial representatives; Members of Parliament, Principal Secretaries; and the Cabinet Secretary for ICT and Digital Economy, Hon. William Kabogo, who called for the urgent delivery of commitments made during the 2024 Nairobi Declaration. Principal Secretary Eng. John Kipchumba Tanui emphasized that CAS25 was not about reinventing strategies, but about execution. He urged participants to focus on inclusion, sovereignty and the development of resilient digital systems that truly serve the African people.

The summit featured several high-impact sessions, including an Innovation Pavilion that showcased Africa’s brightest startups across sectors such as AI, AgriTech, and EdTech. The ICT Innovation Awards recognized outstanding digital entrepreneurs, while a pre-summit Golf Day provided a relaxed networking platform for policymakers and industry leaders.

A key highlight of the summit was the Ministerial Roundtable, which convened ministers and senior officials from 14 African nations. This strategic dialogue culminated in the adoption of the Connected Africa Summit 2025 Declarations—a bold set of resolutions aimed at driving large-scale digital implementation, in alignment with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the UN Global Digital Compact.

The declarations outlined eight priority areas for acceleration. These included ensuring Africa’s sovereignty in AI, data, and cloud infrastructure; scaling up green and sustainable digital innovation through circular economy models and climate-smart technologies; and investing in digital public infrastructure and e-governance systems to deliver inclusive public services.

To support these priorities, Ministers agreed on a concrete set of actions. These included the development of regional digital platforms to align policies and foster partnerships; harmonization of laws related to cybersecurity, telecom tariffs, data governance, digital trade; and the launch of a continent-wide digital readiness assessment.

Throughout CAS25, the call to action was clear: Africa must move from strategy to delivery. With political will, robust policy frameworks and strategic partnerships now in place, the next phase is about turning declarations into functional systems that promote inclusion, security and digital prosperity for all Africans.

As Eng. John Kipchumba Tanui aptly stated, “This is no longer about being connected. It’s about building systems, skills, and sovereignty to ensure no African is left behind in the digital revolution.” The journey continues and the Connected Africa Summit 2025 has set the stage for a continent that is ready not just to participate in the global digital economy, but to lead it!