Industry leaders, policymakers and technology stakeholders meeting at the 15th annual Connected Africa Summit in Nairobi have called for the removal of structural and regulatory frictions to unlock seamless connectivity across Africa, according to a statement issued on Tuesday.

The summit is being held at the Edge Convention Centre and is positioned as a forum for advancing Africa’s digital transformation agenda, with speakers arguing that progress will depend on stronger cross-border policy alignment and collaboration among governments and the private sector.

In remarks during a panel discussion, Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa said deeper cooperation between the public and private sectors is necessary to scale connectivity and digitise services across the continent.

“To unlock Africa's full potential, we must deepen collaboration between governments and the private sector. By working together, we can create enabling policies, invest in the right infrastructure and accelerate public sector digitisation in a way that is inclusive, scalable and impactful for millions of Africans,” Ndegwa said.

The call comes as East African economies accelerate investment in digital infrastructure and online public services, while grappling with fragmented regulations across borders that can raise the cost of rolling out regional platforms and services. Kenya, as a regional technology and financial services hub, has been central to these discussions, particularly around payments interoperability, data governance, licensing, and spectrum policy.

Safaricom said it used the summit to showcase capabilities of its “converged services” model, which brings together its Enterprise Business, Financial Services, Public Sector Digitisation & Transformation (PSDT), and Technology teams. The company said the structure is intended to support government-facing digital solutions that can be deployed at scale.

Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya Prof. Kithure Kindiki also urged greater use of public-private partnerships, adding that citizen participation should be part of digital transformation efforts.

“The public sector does not have a monopoly on resources. In order to achieve inclusion in the digital market, we must collaborate with the private sector and the citizens themselves,” Kindiki said.

For Kenya’s business landscape, the summit’s focus on harmonised policy and seamless connectivity has implications for telecoms, fintech, logistics, and cross-border trade, where consistent rules can lower compliance burdens and enable firms to expand digital services across multiple markets. Industry executives have repeatedly argued that uneven regulation can slow investment decisions and delay deployment of shared infrastructure.

Safaricom, which is listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange, said it serves more than 60 million customers across Kenya and Ethiopia. The company reported that its total economic value was estimated at KES 1.1 trillion (US$8.5 billion) for the 12 months to March 2025, and that annual revenues were close to KES 388 billion as at March 2025.

The operator also cited M-PESA’s role in financial inclusion, saying the mobile money platform helped lift financial inclusion in Kenya to 84.8% in 2024 from 26.7% in 2006, and generated more than KES 161 billion in revenue in FY25.

Safaricom said the summit continues into its third day on Wednesday, with speakers expected to push for renewed commitment and coordinated action on connectivity, policy alignment and a shared vision for Africa’s digital future.

Policymakers and technology industry leaders on Monday convened in Nairobi for the 15th annual Connected Africa Summit and called for the removal of structural and regulatory frictions to enable seamless connectivity across Africa.

According to a statement issued from the summit at the Edge Convention Centre on April 28, 2026, participants said Africa’s push toward a unified digital market will require greater policy alignment and collaboration among governments, regulators and private-sector players.

The summit discussions framed connectivity as a prerequisite for digital public services, private innovation and cross-border trade. Speakers cited Africa’s youthful population, growing digital adoption and expanding infrastructure as foundations, but said fragmentation in rules and implementation continues to slow progress.

Safaricom Plc’s Group Chief Executive Officer Peter Ndegwa used a panel session to argue that governments and the private sector must coordinate more closely on infrastructure and digitisation priorities.

“To unlock Africa's full potential, we must deepen collaboration between governments and the private sector. By working together, we can create enabling policies, invest in the right infrastructure and accelerate public sector digitisation in a way that is inclusive, scalable and impactful for millions of Africans,” Mr Ndegwa said.

Safaricom said it used the summit to showcase what it described as the digital capabilities of its “converged services” model, bringing together its enterprise unit, financial services, public sector digitisation and transformation team and technology functions. The company said the approach is meant to support governments with what it termed secure and scalable digital solutions.

Kenya’s Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki also called for public-private partnerships and greater citizen involvement in digital transformation programmes.

“The public sector does not have a monopoly on resources. In order to achieve inclusion in the digital market, we must collaborate with the private sector and the citizens themselves,” Prof. Kindiki said.

The summit’s focus on harmonisation matters for Kenya’s business environment because local telecoms, fintechs and enterprise technology firms increasingly build products that must operate across multiple jurisdictions, each with different licensing, data protection, spectrum and consumer rules. Regulatory alignment can lower compliance costs and reduce friction for services such as mobile money, cross-border payments, digital identity and e-government platforms.

For listed firms such as Safaricom, policy direction around public sector digitisation and regional interoperability can influence future investment decisions and growth opportunities in enterprise services and fintech. In its statement, Safaricom said it serves more than 60 million customers across Kenya and Ethiopia and estimated its total economic value at KES 1.1 trillion (US$8.5 billion) for the 12 months through March 2025. The company also reported annual revenues of close to KES 388 billion as at March 2025 and said its networks cover more than 99% of Kenya’s population.

Safaricom further reported that M-PESA generated over KES 161 billion in revenue in FY25 and that financial inclusion in Kenya reached 84.8% in 2024, up from 26.7% in 2006, attributing the shift to mobile money adoption.

The summit is set to continue into a third day on April 29, 2026, with organisers and participants calling for renewed commitments and coordinated action. The discussions are expected to continue centring on policy alignment, infrastructure investment and governance frameworks intended to support Africa’s digital market ambitions.

Safaricom (NSE: SCOM) has committed KES 22 million to serve as the title sponsor of the 2026 Connected Africa Summit, scheduled for next week in Nairobi, according to a company press release dated April 23, 2026.

The summit brings together policymakers, regulators and private-sector players to discuss Africa’s digital transformation, at a time when governments are ramping up programmes to modernise public services and expand digital access.

Safaricom Chief Executive Officer Peter Ndegwa said the next phase of digitalisation requires solutions that can operate reliably at national scale. “Africa’s digital journey is at a point where it is no longer about what is possible, but what can work at scale. There has been strong progress in digitisation, but the focus now is on making systems work in a consistent and practical way,” Ndegwa said.

He added that public-sector digitisation increasingly depends on implementation partners who can deliver end-to-end systems. “Governments need partners who can deliver integrated, secure, and practical solutions that improve how citizens experience services every day. That means building solutions that are connected, secure, and designed around how people use services,” Ndegwa said.

Safaricom said it has supported the Connected Africa Summit since its inception in 2009, positioning its involvement as part of long-running public-private collaboration on regional ICT priorities. “We have supported the summit since its inception in 2009 and in that journey, we have seen firsthand how collaboration across government, industry, and partners has shaped the region’s digital agenda,” Ndegwa said.

The company linked those collaborations to outcomes such as connectivity build-out and growth in digital infrastructure. “Together, we have contributed to key milestones, from infrastructure expansion to the growth of the digital superhighway. These are not just policy wins. They are foundations for a functioning digital economy,” he said.

The announcement comes as Kenya and several African governments push forward digital public service delivery—covering identity systems, payments, citizen service portals and sector-specific platforms—raising demand for secure connectivity, interoperable systems and resilience in critical infrastructure. For Kenya’s business landscape, the summit is typically a forum where public procurement priorities, technology standards and partnerships are discussed, shaping opportunities for telecoms operators, fintechs, systems integrators and cloud and cybersecurity providers.

In the press release’s background section, Safaricom said it serves more than 60 million customers across Kenya and Ethiopia and reported annual revenues of close to KES 388 billion as at March 2025. The company also cited an estimated total economic value of KES 1.1 trillion (US$8.5 billion) for the 12 months through March 2025, and said its network coverage spans more than 99% of Kenya’s population across 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G in aggregate.

Safaricom further said M-PESA generated over KES 161 billion in revenue in FY25 and cited an adult financial inclusion rate of 84.8% in 2024, up from 26.7% in 2006, attributing the figures to its mobile money platform’s role in enabling transactions, savings and credit through mobile phones.

Looking ahead, the title sponsorship places Safaricom at the centre of a high-profile policy and industry meeting that may influence regional priorities on digital infrastructure, government services and cybersecurity. The company did not provide additional breakdowns of how the KES 22 million will be spent, but said the funds are intended to support the success of the conference.