Africa Connected

Promoting sustainable investments into the digital sector is at the core of the EU’s Global Gateway initiative. The Africa Connected programme, designed to mobilise investments in digital infrastructure providers and digital platform businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa, showcases the EFSD+ guarantees’ potential in addressing crucial investment needs that remain in EU partner countries – especially in rural, thinly populated or low-income areas and suburbs.

Increased digital connectivity creates employment, increases efficiency and productivity of businesses, as well as governments’ tax revenues. It also contributes to closing the digital divide in internet usage and coverage between Sub-Saharan Africa and the rest of the world. The programme promotes gender equality by targeting women, who are less likely to use mobile services than men, potentially excluding them from the benefits of using digital services such as financial, government, education or health services.