Huawei hosted the Africa Carrier Cloud Transformation 2024 summit at GITEX AFRICA 2024, themed “Enable New Growth Beyond Connectivity.”
Regional government leaders, telecom operators, industry organizations, and analysts engaged in discussions about accelerating digital transformation through cloud platforms, aiming to unlock new growth opportunities beyond traditional connectivity.
A New Era of Digital Transformation for Africa
At the summit, Huawei and African operators jointly launched the “Africa Digital Intelligent Transformation Pioneer Club,” marking a significant milestone in the continent’s digital evolution. Benjamin Hou, President of Huawei Northern Africa Carrier Business, emphasized that digital transformation is a global trend, and Africa’s burgeoning digital economy presents a historic opportunity for regional operators.
EM 2.0: More Than Technology, A Mindset Shift
Hou explained that EM 2.0 is not just a technology upgrade but a fundamental shift in thinking and models. By optimizing digital infrastructure, building cloud foundations, deploying digital management platforms, and enabling diverse digital services, EM 2.0 empowers operators to transition from traditional network providers to digital service providers, fostering growth beyond connectivity.
Cloud Services: The Key to Operator Transformation
James Crawshaw, Practice Leader for Service Provider Transformation at Omdia, highlighted the importance of cloud services in global operator digital transformation. Cloud services not only enable cost reduction and business expansion but also drive innovation, build ecosystems, and create new revenue streams.
Ethio Telecom’s Digital Vision
Mahdi Jemal, Chief Strategy Officer of Ethio Telecom, shared how Ethio Telecom is deepening its vision as a leading digital solutions provider. By leveraging connectivity, cloud, and platform capabilities, Ethio Telecom is driving financial inclusion, payment solutions, vertical solutions, and ecosystem development. This comprehensive approach creates a platform economy encompassing payments, social media, and entertainment, while also driving industry-specific digitization and accelerating national digital transformation, ultimately fueling new growth engines for Ethio Telecom.
Huawei Cloud: A Strategic Partner for Operators
Ying Li, President of Huawei Global Product Portfolio Marketing and Solutions Sales Department, emphasized that a strategic cloud partner for operators must deeply understand telecom data, networks, and applications. Huawei Cloud, the fastest-growing cloud service provider in Africa, has demonstrated its expertise through successful partnerships with over 120 global operators, including Ethio Telecom, proving that Huawei is the ideal partner for operators transitioning to digital service providers.