Explore the critical implications of Africa's 'Scramble 2.0' as global tech giants race for data dominance on the continent. This article delves into the historical parallels and the urgent need for Africa to secure its digital future.
As an observer of technological developments in the African continent one is tempted to celebrate recent news, offers of cloud data infrastructure and others, as progress however there’s also a reason for concern.
History, as I have often observed, has a habit of rhyming, even when the medium shifts from the tangible to the intangible. In the late 19th century, European powers carved up the continent with rulers and pencils, driven by the relentless hunger of the Second Industrial Revolution.
They sought rubber, minerals, and timber—the raw ingredients of a mechanical age—drawing borders with a reckless disregard for the people living within them.
Today, we are witnessing what I consider to be "Scramble 2.0," a high-stakes, largely invisible race for a commodity far more precious than iron or ore: data.
