From learning to earning: how to accelerate Africa's digital economy?
Marina Madale, MTN group executive: sustainability and shared value
Madale was speaking during a panel discussion entitled 'Building Africa's digital talent pipeline', on the first day of the 2025 Trialogue Business in Society Conference. The session was presented in partnership with the MTN South Africa Foundation.
The development-focused conference took place at The Galleria in Sandton, Johannesburg, under the theme 'Driving impact, inspiring change'. MTN was one of six corporate sponsors that partnered with Trialogue to discuss topical issues in corporate social investment (CSI), philanthropy and development in South Africa.
Madale was joined on the panel by Lisema Matsietsi (senior technical advisor – Private sector engagement in employment promotion at GIZ); Lesala Ketheng (training manager at the EBL Institute of Business and Technology); and Chuma Memela (co-founder of Gambuu and director of Genie-yus AI). They discussed how demand-led skilling is one of the factors that can address the dire unemployment rate in South Africa and many other African countries.
Madale noted that public-private partnerships and collaborations will be essential to developing a pool of skilled young digital professionals.
An ecosystem-based approach to digital skills
Madale emphasised MTN's commitment to long-term impact through the MTN Skills Academy, which was launched in 2022. The digital platform that bridges the gap between learning and earning, and rests on four integrated pillars: career guidance (in partnership with PACE), rapid upskilling, from digital literacy to advanced 'nano degrees', work readiness, and job access, using AI to match youth with real-time opportunities.
'Our aim is to build Africa's largest job portal,' Madale explained. 'However, MTN is not a training company – our strength is connectivity. This is why we have partnered with providers like Coursera, and are in conversation with other companies – we want to create an integrated ecosystem of partners.'
The platform also addresses the reality of post-matric youth who cannot access university due to cost or capacity constraints. By combining high-demand, targeted learning with job connectivity, it offers a scalable alternative to traditional education pathways.
Madale acknowledged that many young South Africans and broader Africans can't join the technology revolution as they lack access, infrastructure, devices and more. This is why the company takes an ecosystem-based approach to the challenge. The ultimate aim is to develop not only digital skills but also adaptability, critical thinking, and other capabilities that will help Africa become more resilient and solve its own problems, Madale added.
Aligning skills to jobs
The German development agency GIZ is working with MTN and the South African government to align education and skills development with the rapidly evolving digital economy.
'We're building bridges between training providers and employers through demand-led skilling,' said the GIZ's Matsietsi. 'Instead of investing in the dark, we're co-developing curricula based on real job descriptions and tracking transitions from training to employment.'
Matsietsi said the GIZ is currently testing a pipeline from TVET colleges to jobs, then looking at non-traditional training providers to assist. He cited platforms like Collective_X, a Harambee initiative that aims to place digitally skilled young people in jobs, and the Youth Employment Service, the highest-impact private sector youth employment programme in South Africa, which help to bring skilled youth into employment. Five 'top' career pathways identified by the GIZ include cybersecurity, cloud computing, data analysis, software development, and content development.
In addition, the GIZ partners with public bodies such as the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies and the National Electronic Media Institute of SA to enable the joint testing of scalable, data-driven models that will tackle youth unemployment.
The agency emphasises inclusivity, applying gender and disability lenses, and attempts to reduce drop-out rates.
Khetheng stressed the urgent need for programmes that offer real-world, job-ready training, not just certificates. 'The gap isn't only skills – it's experience, access to mentorship, and infrastructure,' he noted. 'Many learners don't have reliable laptops, internet access, or even digital literacy. You can't work remotely on a laptop operating Windows 7, for example.'
He stressed the importance of human-centred approaches: practical exposure, peer mentorship, and psychological support to help learners thrive in difficult socioeconomic environments.
AI ushers in opportunities
Despite anxiety around artificial intelligence, the panellists were confident that AI's transformative potential should be harnessed, not resisted.
'AI isn't going to destroy jobs – it's going to transform them,' asserted Memela, himself a graduate of the EBL Institute of Business and Technology, and one of its ''champions' who is part of the mentorship pipeline.
He currently teaches entrepreneurs to become 'super-employees' – multi-skilled generalists who can combine digital skills with critical thinking. 'We shouldn't be debating whether 19-year-olds should use AI when countries like China and the United States are teaching it in primary school,' he added, saying educational institutions need to adapt to meet the job needs of the future.
It is also important to mentor young people and bring them into the system. 'I am a beneficiary of opportunity – I have to pay it forward,' Memela concluded.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
8 hours ago
- Zawya
Egypt Participates in Drafting and Launching the G20 Development Working Group Ministerial Declaration
H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, represented the Arab Republic of Egypt at the G20 Development Working Group Ministerial Meeting held in South Africa. She also participated in drafting and launching the Ministerial Declaration at the conclusion of the meetings. The Ministerial Declaration, issued at the meetings, affirmed that development financing is at the core of shared priorities. It also highlighted the urgent need to enhance domestic resource mobilization, address illicit financial flows, and strengthen the role of multilateral and innovative financing mechanisms. The G20 reaffirmed its commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, its pledge to leave no one behind, and its enhanced shared responsibility in confronting global challenges and interconnected crises, from debt to global inequalities, climate change, and the SDG financing gap. During her participation, H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat highlighted Egypt's experience in launching the "Country Approaches for Financing Sustainable Development and Climate Action" initiative within the Seville Platform for Action, with the aim of advancing integrated financing frameworks globally. Egypt co-leads this initiative (alongside South Africa, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, UNICEF, regional development banks, and others). Its objectives include 100 countries implementing integrated financing programs or country financing platforms funded by public, private, and philanthropic sources by 2030. Egypt has already begun joint work with Mexico to understand the mechanism for designing and implementing national platforms. Regarding stimulating large-scale investments, H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat emphasized the importance of allowing the private sector to play an effective role in development financing, improving governance in international financial institutions, and strengthening the United Nations' role in setting global economic rules. She also stressed the significance of debt sustainability and updating the basis for calculating Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA) to ensure a fairer assessment for developing countries, particularly in Africa, and to support these countries with incentive tools and mechanisms to overcome ongoing debt challenges. In line with the G20 ministers' declaration, which highlights the urgent need to bridge the $4.5 trillion annual SDG financing gap, H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat affirmed the pressing need to expand blended finance and public-private partnerships, and to implement debt-for-development swap programs. She pointed to Egypt's experience, particularly with Italy, Germany, and China, in providing fiscal space for investment in high-impact projects in food security, women's empowerment, environmental protection, and climate change, making it a successful and replicable model. Furthermore, between 2020 and May 2025, Egypt successfully mobilized approximately $15.6 billion for private sector financing from international partners, with $4 billion allocated to the private sector within the Country Platform – the "NWFE" program. Despite the absence of an internationally agreed definition for Global Public Goods, the G20 Ministerial Declaration stressed the urgent need to enable the provision of these goods, along with the importance of taking action to support low-income and developing countries in implementing the 2030 Agenda in accordance with their national priorities and contributing to global well-being. This is what the Development Working Group calls for: enhancing global consensus, research, and cooperation on the protection and provision of Global Public Goods. The Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation reiterated in her speech that development financing and investments in essential sectors represent the cornerstone of sustainable economic and social growth and have a direct impact on human well-being and long-term productivity. She confirmed the necessity of achieving a common vision in line with the G20 Ministerial Declaration, through mobilizing long-term and affordable financing and rethinking multilateral cooperation. With over $460 trillion in global assets, the potential to bridge SDG financing gaps is within reach – if countries redirect capital towards inclusive and sustainable priorities. H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat concluded her speech by stating that the outcomes of this Ministerial Meeting must represent the beginning of a practical phase – to translate commitments into tangible progress, moving from policies to practices with strong political will, while ensuring that no country is left behind in our pursuit of a more sustainable and equitable future for all. It is worth noting that the G20 is the premier forum for international economic cooperation and plays an important role in shaping and strengthening global architecture and governance on all major international economic issues. Its membership includes 19 countries plus the European Union and the African Union. South Africa assumed the G20 presidency from December 1, 2024, to November 2025, and is committed to leading the G20 by focusing on people, development, and solutions in a complex global geopolitical landscape. This comes against the backdrop of Egypt's pioneering experience – as a middle-income country – in balancing its national priorities. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation - Egypt.
Zawya
a day ago
- Zawya
South Africa: President Ramaphosa concludes meeting between the National Executive and the Northern Cape Provincial Executive Council
President Cyril Ramaphosa has concluded a meeting between the National executive and the Northern Cape Provincial Executive. The meeting, held under the theme 'Unlocking the Northern Cape potential as a modern, growing and successful province', was the sixth formal engagement that the national executive had with a provincial executive. The meeting was also joined by Executive Mayors. Previous sessions include meetings with the Executive Councils of Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, and most recently, the Eastern Cape. These sessions have resulted in strengthening cooperative governance, breaking down silos and cooperative project planning that leads to collaborative execution. As President Ramaphosa said during the Budget Debate last week, when the three spheres of government work together, the lives of the people of South Africa are improved. It is envisaged that the National Executive would have met with the leadership of the remaining provinces over the next few months. The President emphasised the importance of structured engagements between the national and provincial executives that assist government coordinate more efficiently, resolve challenges together and to plan smarter. The meetings are also meant to facilitate innovative ideas and proposals to address service delivery and skills challenges. The meeting discussed the ongoing roll out of catalytic economic development projects that require the deepening of cooperation between the national and provincial governments. These include the Boegoebaai Harbor and SEZ development, revitalisation and expansion of Vaalharts, Namakwa SEZ and the development of the infrastructure masterplan. The meeting further affirmed closer cooperation on issues of climate change mitigation considering the province's vulnerability to erratic weather conditions. The national executive pledged to continue working closely with the province in areas of Transport and Logistics, Basic Education, Water and Sanitation infrastructure development, Human Settlements, Tourism and Energy and Electricity. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa.
Zawya
a day ago
- Zawya
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board Concludes 2025 Article IV Consultation with Equatorial Guinea and IMF Management Approves the First and Second Reviews Under the Staff Monitored Program for Equatorial Guinea
The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded today the 2025 Article IV consultation with Equatorial Guinea. IMF Management approved in June the combined first and second reviews under the Staff Monitored Program (SMP) and a 12 month SMP extension. Equatorial Guinea registered a mild economic recovery in 2024, but the economy is projected to grow weakly and a drain on regional reserves is expected to continue in the medium term as hydrocarbon production declines. The banking sector is showing clear signs of improvement. Performance under the program has been strong, with significant reforms implemented and a substantial fiscal adjustment that met the SMP conditionality. However, contrary to longstanding commitments, the authorities decided not to publish asset declarations of public officials. The program extension will provide the authorities with an opportunity to complete an alternative governance reform measure aimed at strengthening transparency in the extractive sector. The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed the Article IV Consultation for Equatorial Guinea.[1] IMF Management approved the completion of the first and second reviews and a 12-month extension of the Staff Monitored Program (SMP) for Equatorial Guinea on June 25, 2025. The authorities have consented to the publication of the Staff Report prepared for this consultation.[2] Equatorial Guinea registered a mild economic recovery in 2024, growing by 0.9 percent following a strong contraction in 2023. However, non-hydrocarbon GDP growth slowed in 2024 to 1.3 percent, and the economy is expected to grow only modestly in the medium term as hydrocarbon production declines. Inflationary pressures have persisted, with inflation increasing from 2.5 percent in 2023 to 3.4 percent in 2024. The banking sector showed clear signs of improvement in 2024 but remains undercapitalized. The average capital adequacy ratio of the system is marginally below the regulatory minimum, but substantially higher than at the end of 2022. The authorities' substantial fiscal adjustment in 2024 improved the non-hydrocarbon primary balance from -22.3 percent of non-hydrocarbon GDP in 2023 to -17.0 percent in 2024. Public debt decreased from 39.1 percent to 36.4 percent of GDP. Equatorial Guinea's contribution to foreign reserves at the regional central bank remained negative in 2024, following a reserve loss in 2023. The authorities planned further fiscal adjustment will aim to keep public debt below 50 percent of GDP despite the projected decline in hydrocarbon revenues and restore external balance in the medium term. The authorities have implemented substantial reforms over the past year in the context of the SMP. The significant fiscal adjustment in 2024 helped initiate stabilization of the public debt dynamics and restoration of external balance. They enacted a new tax law that broadens the tax base, prepared a plan to phase out fuel subsidies, began making payments under a new arrears clearance strategy and reformed the customs administration. The authorities took concrete steps toward restoring the health of the financial sector. In an effort to improve governance and transparency, they also developed an AML/CFT strategy and published contracts in the extractive sector and an audit of spending following the accidental explosions in Bata in 2021. The authorities' policies have allowed them to meet almost all of the SMP's quantitative conditionality as well as complete actions related to most of their structural reform program commitments in the areas of governance, financial sector development and structural fiscal policy. The authorities missed two structural benchmarks following their decision not to publish the asset declarations of public officials. The 12-month SMP extension will afford the authorities the opportunity to complete an alternative governance reform measure – the publication of an extractive industry transparency report in line with EITI standards – while continuing to implement their broader reform agenda. Executive Board Assessment[3] Executive Directors agreed with the thrust of the staff appraisal. Directors welcomed the authorities' progress on their reform agenda under the Staff‑Monitored Program, noting its 12‑month extension. They stressed, however, that the macroeconomic environment remains challenging, particularly because of the continued decline in hydrocarbon production that is placing sustained pressure on fiscal and external balances. Directors urged steadfast reform implementation going forward, particularly to address long‑standing and serious governance challenges, which would help economic diversification and lay the foundation for private sector‑led, sustainable, and inclusive growth. Directors welcomed the authorities' decision to anchor public debt to preserve debt sustainability and restore external balance. They emphasized that this will require a gradual and sustained fiscal adjustment in the face of declining hydrocarbon revenues. Directors welcomed the commitment to achieving the 2025 budget and stressed the need for continued efforts to mobilize domestic non‑hydrocarbon revenues and strengthen fiscal institutions. Improving public financial management remains essential. Directors called for ambitious social spending reform to improve social outcomes and boost human capital development. They stressed the importance of approving the social protection law to enable the building of comprehensive social safety nets. Directors commended the progress made toward restoring the health of the financial sector—including the completion of the audit of the systemic public bank and the creation of an arrears clearance strategy—but noted that vulnerabilities remain. Directors highlighted the importance of obtaining approval from the regional banking supervisor for the arrears clearance plan, further strengthening private banks' balance sheets, and implementing the financial inclusion strategy. Directors urged the authorities to redouble their efforts to substantially improve transparency and governance. They regretted the authorities' decision to step back from the long‑standing commitment to publish asset declarations of public officials, and many Directors urged the authorities to reconsider this option. Directors considered that the publication of an annual report on financial flows in the extractive sector could help demonstrate the authorities' commitment to address their governance deficit. They recommended further governance reforms to address issues highlighted in the 2019 governance diagnostic, including implementing the AML/CFT strategy. A predictable and transparent business environment with reliable and efficient application of laws is needed to create a level playing field that would attract domestic and foreign investment. It is expected that the next Article IV consultation with Equatorial Guinea will be held on the standard 12‑month cycle. Table 1. Equatorial Guinea: Selected Economic and Financial Indicators, 2024–26 Estimates Projections 2024 2025 2026 (Annual percentage change, unless otherwise specified) Production, prices, and money Real GDP 0.9 -1.6 0.5 Hydrocarbon GDP1 0.4 -6.4 -2.6 Non-hydrocarbon GDP 1.3 2.3 2.8 GDP deflator 2.5 3.0 1.0 Consumer prices (annual average) 3.4 2.9 2.9 Consumer prices (end of period) 3.4 2.9 3.5 Monetary and exchange rate Broad money 2.6 2.7 2.9 Nominal effective exchange rate (- = depreciation) … … … External sector Exports, f.o.b. -7.1 1.6 -8.7 Hydrocarbon exports -8.4 1.7 -10.2 Non-hydrocarbon exports 2.6 1.8 1.0 Imports, f.o.b. -8.9 2.2 -1.9 Government finance Revenue -14.3 0.7 -5.0 Expenditure -0.7 4.9 -1.3 (Percent of GDP, unless otherwise specified) Government finance Revenue 17.9 17.8 16.7 Hydrocarbon revenue 14.5 14.3 13.0 Non-hydrocarbon revenue 3.4 3.5 3.7 Expenditure 18.5 19.1 18.6 Overall fiscal balance (Commitment basis) -0.6 -1.3 -1.9 Overall fiscal balance (Cash basis) -1.0 -2.0 -2.6 Non-hydrocarbon primary balance2 -11.7 -12.6 -12.3 Non-hydrocarbon primary balance (as percent of non-hydrocarbon GDP) -17.0 -17.4 -16.4 Change in domestic arrears -0.3 -0.7 -0.7 External sector Current account balance (including official transfers; - = deficit) -3.2 -3.3 -4.5 Imputed Foreign Reserves (net), US$billion 0.4 0.4 0.2 Debt Total public debt 36.4 37.0 38.4 Domestic debt 28.7 28.0 27.9 External debt 7.8 9.0 10.5 External debt service-to-exports ratio (percent) 6.2 5.7 6.2 External debt service/government revenue (percent) 7.9 7.4 7.7 Memorandum items Oil price (U.S. dollars a barrel)3 79.9 67.7 63.3 Nominal GDP (billions of CFA francs) 7,740 7,846 7,959 Nominal GDP (millions of US dollars) 12,769 12,881 13,138 Hydrocarbon GDP (billions of CFA francs) 2,401 2,193 1,971 Non-hydrocarbon GDP (billions of CFA francs) 5,340 5,653 5,987 Government deposits (in percent of GDP) 17.7 17.5 17.2 Oil volume (crude and condensado, millions of barrels) 29.1 26.8 25.1 Gas volume4 (millions of bbls oil equivalent) 51.8 49.2 49.5 Total Hydrocarbon Volume (in millions of barrels of oil equivalent) 81.0 76.0 74.7 Exchange rate (average; CFA francs/U.S. dollar) 606.2 … … Sources: Data provided by the Equatoguinean authorities; and staff estimates and projections. 1 Including oil, LNG, LPG, butane, propane, and methanol. 2 Excluding hydrocarbon revenues, hydrocarbon expenditures, and interest earned and paid. 3 The reference price for crude oil is the Brent. 4 Includes LNG, propane, butane and methanol. [1] Under Article IV of the IMF's Articles of Agreement, the IMF holds bilateral discussions with members, usually every year. A staff team visits the country, collects economic and financial information, and discusses with officials the country's economic developments and policies. On return to headquarters, the staff prepares a report, which forms the basis for discussion by the Executive Board. [2] Under the IMF's Articles of Agreement, publication of documents that pertain to member countries is voluntary and requires the member consent. The staff report will be shortly published on the page. [3] At the conclusion of the discussion, the Managing Director, as Chair of the Board, summarizes the views of Executive Directors, and this summary is transmitted to the country's authorities. An explanation of any qualifiers used in summings up can be found here: Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Monetary Fund (IMF).
