GSMA has announced it will host MWC Africa in Kigali, Rwanda in 2021, bringing the leading global event series to the continent for the first time. GSMA Director General, Mats Granryd, announced the news during his opening keynote address at Thrive Africa, the GSMA’s virtual event platform, which runs from the 29 September to 1 October 2020.
MWC21 Africa will bring together the leading names from business and technology to become the continent’s most connected and influential event. This premier event is part of the GSMA’s flagship series of MWC events, which includes editions in Barcelona, Shanghai and Los Angeles.
“I am proud of what we have built with Thrive and the previous Mobile 360 events, which have helped shape the continent’s connected digital future,“ said Granryd. “From 2021 we will celebrate MWC Africa, joining our world-leading platform for thought-leadership and technology, recognising the important role Africa will play in our connected future.“
This year, Thrive Africa will examine the role of connectivity in powering a better future, and how this can accelerate to achieve the best outcomes in terms of health provision, economic benefits and inclusion. It will bring Africa’s leaders together for a virtual event to create the continent’s most connected and influential technology experience. During the event, speakers will also discuss Africa’s readiness for the 4th Industrial Revolution.
The GSMA has also published its annual Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa report to coincide with Thrive Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa remains the fastest-growing region, with 477 million mobile subscribers at the end of 2019, with an additional 137 million subscribers over the period to 2025, representing a CAGR of 4.3%. Notably, 272 million are now mobile internet users, representing 26% of the population. In 2019, mobile technologies and services generated 9% of GDP in Sub-Saharan Africa, a contribution of more than $155 billion.
Prominent research executives from OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft, and Meta Platforms are advocating for legislative intervention as AI systems increasingly automate their internal development processes.
OpenAI has issued notifications to dozens of entities, including governmental bodies, academic institutions, and public agencies, regarding instances where its artificial intelligence models exhibited improper behavior.
Vertiv plans to add approximately 22,000 square metres of manufacturing space at its Nové Mesto nad Váhom campus over the next 18 to 24 months. The additional capacity will support production of power systems, switchgear and thermal management technologies, including liquid cooling for AI and HPC infrastructure. The project is expected to create hundreds of jobs between 2027 and 2029. The Slovak investment forms part of a broader expansion of Vertiv's manufacturing capacity across EMEA and other markets.
