At AfricaCom 2025, Song Xiaodi, president of Huawei’s small cell product line, delivered a keynote speech titled, “Seize Three Opportunities to Build a Digital Africa”.
Highlighting the digital economy as a new force driving global progress, Song underscored Africa’s immense potential in digital transformation. He urged stakeholders to seize three pivotal opportunities – ubiquitous connectivity, enhanced user experience and green development – to unlock digital productivity and shape a brighter, digitally empowered future for Africa.
In his speech, Song said that although mobile networks provide connectivity, their ultimate value emerges through digitalisation. “Over 170 nations have already formulated digital strategies, and Africa has demonstrated its great ambition in digital transformation. According to our research, the global digital economy will continue to expand rapidly, with Africa’s alone expected to grow sixfold by 2050,” he noted.
Song outlined three key strategies to advance digitalisation across Africa.
First, enhance ubiquitous connectivity to solidify the cornerstone of Digital Africa.
Song said that connectivity serves as the first step to digital transformation and that its value will be exponentially amplified through diverse digital applications. He painted a vivid picture of how expansive mobile network coverage could revolutionise life across Africa.
“Imagine mobile networks connecting villages, farms and classrooms. Video calls will become commonplace and new business opportunities will emerge, empowering young generations to market their goods through online platforms and ensuring equal access to knowledge for every child.” To illustrate this vision, he pointed to the Papua region of Indonesia, where improved connectivity has opened doors to the digital world for those in remote areas.
Second, accelerate upgrades in user experience to fully unlock the value of 5G networks.
Song said that advances in 5G technology are propelling us into a new era where experience takes centre stage. “We will move beyond traditional videos to embrace next-generation immersive technologies like free-viewpoint video, 4K/8K ultra-high-definition video and even naked-eye 3D,” he added. “All these innovations demand ongoing enhancements in network capabilities. At the same time, they present lucrative opportunities for network operators to boost their average revenue per user (Arpu) and develop stronger business models.”
To illustrate this point, Song shared the example of a Thai network operator that successfully increased its ARPU by 15% through strategic deployment of 5G networks and well-designed pricing plans. This case study, he noted, provides a valuable model for African operators looking to achieve similar success.
Third, pursue green development to ensure long-term sustainability.
Song emphasised that far from being an obstacle to digital transformation, green development is actually essential for achieving sustainable growth. “Green development is more than a global consensus; it brings concrete economic and social benefits.” As an example, he highlighted Huawei’s green energy solution, which has been successfully implemented in Mali. This solution powers remote base stations entirely with renewable energy, reducing annual carbon emissions by 10 tons and slashing operational costs by €20 000 for local operators – all while expanding network coverage.
Song concluded that Africa is rapidly transitioning from 3G to 4G and 5G. Amidst the myriad uncertainties facing the global economy, technological innovation presents the most certainty.
“Huawei is fully committed to supporting African operators in expanding connectivity, creating greater value, and accelerating digital transformation,” he said.
“We are dedicated to unlocking Africa’s digital productivity. Together, let’s strive toward a digital, 5G and green future, building a thriving Digital Africa.”
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