PAICTA was established on the 21st of July 2020.
The formation of the Pan African Information Communication Technology Association, (hereinafter referred to as “PAICTA”) is in response to the needs of ICT small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in Africa owned by African Youth, women & Persons with disabilities.
ICT small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in Africa requires a conducive economic and social environment for innovation, development, and growth. Africa is currently impeded by political upheaval, economic volatility, and the changing goalposts of international investment. This has been amplified by market disruptions by the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic and cold wars – and these are but only a few of the challenges facing the African SMEs and those in the ICT sector.
In most African countries small and medium enterprises (SMEs) account for a significant share of production and employment and are therefore directly connected to poverty alleviation. Most SMEs are launched by aspiring entrepreneurs who have had no previous experience, possibly even little exposure to a mature corporate environment. The enterprises are not planned appropriately, markets are not assessed, products are not commercialized, marketing is not adequate or imaginative, and good corporate governance frequently lacking. There is a crisis across Africa due to the nature of a tight labor market and few good opportunities for employment for the annual graduating students where they can watch and learn best practices.
We believe that a more structured and strategic approach is inevitable for ICT SME development in Africa to propel technology innovation and digital transformation to enhance technology production to solve African African problems.
Key to the development of an ICT SME is their exposure to other research and innovation hubs, regional and global markets, and economic supporting structures to effectively support all processes of ICT SME development from ideation, start-up, and expansion to maturity. Whereas this form of enabling industry framework and lobbying is well articulated in Europe and the United States, it appears inadequate in Africa and can be possibly linked to the size of some markets and thus increased competition, rivalry, and mistrust. We as PAICTA, believe we are in a better position to address the plight of African people in ICT through affiliations, associations, alliances, and partnerships with organizations and groupings with whom we share the same vision.
