Experts have called for swift policy actions for Africa to claim its fair share of the growing technology-driven sports industry, arguing that such policies would support innovation and grow the sector even further.

They made the call on Wednesday, May 21 at the Innovation Summit of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) in Kigali.

The global sports industry is currently estimated to be worth $34 billion, with Africa accounting for just 5.9 per cent, according to some estimates.

"Africa’s share is just 5.9 per cent, and that’s combined with the Middle East. When you double-click into that, it’s mostly smart infrastructure like stadiums, driving that value. But Africa’s contribution remains worryingly low,” said Paula Ingabire, Rwanda’s Minister of ICT and Innovation.

Ingabire added that technology can be a catalyst for empowering sports and integrating cultural creativity, urging African governments and stakeholders to create an enabling environment for young, innovative minds who are actively shaping the continent’s future.

"Innovation must be supported by thoughtful policies that reflect the pace and needs of the current digital economy. The responsibility of policymakers is to create the environment, investing in infrastructure, protecting intellectual property, and working alongside the very people building these innovations,” she said.

ALSO READ: BAL set standards and we’re working hard to beat them--Minister Ngarambe

Echoing this call, Camara Cheick, the Managing Director at ServiceNow Africa, a company that define, manage, automate and structure IT services for companies, said that Africa is ‘bursting’ with talent, but what it urgently needs is infrastructure, investment, and strategy to unlock its potential.

"Talent is not scarce in Africa, what’s hard to find is the right infrastructure, the right investments, and the right structure that create those opportunities for our population to be successful,” he noted.

He warned that time is running out, especially as Africa’s youthful population will dominate the continent’s demographics within just a few years.

"Africa’s youthful population will dominate the continent’s demographics by 2030. So, we have five years to build the infrastructure for this digitally native population to be successful,” he said.

Cheick also noted a troubling lack of clarity around artificial intelligence (AI) among African business leaders, despite its growing impact globally.

"On the African continent, 70 per cent of executives that I talk to don’t know what the use cases are for AI, local innovators should start building African-led tech platforms that could allow creators, entrepreneurs, and youth to thrive in sports and creative industry,” he observed.

"The continent’s future innovators already exist if only they’re given a fair chance. I’m a firm believer that the next Jeff Bezos, the next Einstein is here somewhere in Africa. We just have to give them the opportunity to be successful,” he added.

ALSO READ: NBA Africa unveils new basketball court in Nyamata

The creative industry

Malik Shaffy Lizinde, Founder of 63 Inc, a multimedia hub, said that Africa’s booming creative and tech sectors could generate up to 20 million jobs by 2030, but only if the continent reforms its education systems and quickly embraces innovation like AI.

"The African creative industry was valued at $58 billion in 2023 by Appleton Bank, and with that value, we have an opportunity to create 20 million jobs by 2030. With 70 per cent of Africa’s population under the age of 30, the creative and tech industries present a golden opportunity,” he said.

"Especially because the skills are exportable without leaving the continent. This means young people can access global markets, work remotely, and build sustainable careers without having to migrate, provided we invest in the right education, infrastructure, and policies to support their growth,” he added.

However, he warned that traditional education systems are struggling to keep pace with the speed of technological change.

"If you go to university today for computer engineering or graphic design, by the time you graduate, there’s a new tool you need to use. So we need to be really, really agile and update curricula and rethink outdated approaches to training,” he said.