3 Technologies That Will Transform Africa - Gartner
The 2019 Gartner. Inc. “Hype Cycle for ICT in Africa” features three technologies that will have a transformational impact on businesses in Africa within the next 10 years. They are smart city frameworks, the Internet of Things (IoT) and low earth orbit satellite systems. The IoT and satellites make sense; the smart city does not!
The hype surrounding the IoT has decreased from the highs of 2016 through 2018. As a result, Gartner analysts have moved the position of the IoT in Africa two-thirds into the Trough of Disillusionment. IoT will reach between 5% and 20% of its local target audience and is set to have a high business impact in the next five to 10 years.
“Organizations in Africa continue to address cost, complexity and scaling challenges implementing IoT-enabled business solutions,” said Alfonso Velosa, research vice president at Gartner. “Some noticeable challenges include security concerns, end-to-end integration complexity and a large number of startup vendors that will have trouble surviving the Trough.”
The IoT is a core building block for digital business and digital platforms, and regarded as a game-changing technology by CIOs in Africa. According to Gartner’s 2019 CIO Survey, 24% of CIOs in Africa ranked the IoT as a game changer for their organization.
While low earth orbit satellite systems are an emerging technology, they have reached the Peak of Inflated Expectations and will have a high business impact in the next five to 10 years in Africa.