ESD situated Digitalisation in Africa
Africa’s digital transformation is reshaping how we learn, work and address sustainability challenges. With roughly 40% of the world’s children projected to live in Africa by 2050, aligning digitalisation with ESD is both urgent and opportunity-rich.
Anchor policies:
Why this matters
- Digital systems can scale climate-smart agriculture, e-government and learning—when paired with capacity building and inclusion.
- Recent ESD cooperation in West & Central Africa shows momentum for mainstreaming ESD across ministries and schools.
- Rapid infrastructure growth (e.g., data centres across multiple countries) underpins access and affordability, but gaps remain.
Case Study — Rwanda: Connecting Schools for Learning
UNICEF/ITU’s Giga initiative piloted school connectivity and transitioned contracts to the Rwandan government, signalling long-term ownership and scale-up. Rwanda’s SMART Classroom programme pairs devices, content and connectivity; electrification is an enabling first step. Click here to read more.
Case Study — Kenya: FarmerAI + DigiFarm for Smallholders
Safaricom + Opportunity International launched FarmerAI, an AI chatbot integrated with DigiFarm, giving real-time advice (weather, inputs, pests, markets) to smallholders. Pilot enrolling 800–1,000 farmers. FarmerAI delivery via SMS/WhatsApp within the DigiFarm ecosystem has National reach. Click here to read more.
Please add one card for each tool you know. In the title, write the tool’s name, and in the card describe who uses it, what it is used for, give a real example, and mention one barrier (for example, data costs or lack of training). You may also attach a screenshot or logo if you wish.
The presentation below explores how digital transformation in Southern Africa can strengthen ESD. It looks at the challenges of climate, livelihoods, and digital skills gaps, while also highlighting opportunities through mobile technology, AI, IoT, and cloud solutions.