GITEX Africa 2024, the largest tech and startup show in Africa, is happening this May 29 to 31 in Marrakesh, Morocco! This exciting expo brings the world’s technology leaders in one place, highlighting the rapidly developing ICT landscape across not only the African region but also worldwide.
As we look forward to this exciting global meet-up in Marrakesh, let’s look into what we can expect from the event.
What is GITEX Africa?
GITEX Africa is an extension event of the GITEX show series, which highlight the rapidly developing technological atmospheres in the Middle East, Asian, and African regions.
GITEX stands for the “Gulf Information Technology Exhibition.” It is one of the largest IT expo ecosystems in the world. The prestigious event, boasting a 43-year history since its inception in 1981, originally bases itself in the Middle East, significantly bolstering Dubai’s status as a major IT industry hub. Since 2023, GITEX has expanded its influence to Africa with the spin-off expo, GITEX Africa. Additionally, the mega expo’s influence continues to grow. It will further extend its coverage to Europe with “GITEX Europe 2025,” scheduled to take place in Berlin, Germany.
What to expect in GITEX Africa 2024
GITEX Africa 2024, organized by the Ministry of Digital Transition and Administration Reform of the Kingdom of Morocco and hosted by KAOUN International, a subsidiary of the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), will take place from May 29 to 31 at Place Bab Jdid in Marrakesh, Morocco.
The inaugural GITEX Africa in 2023, which also took place in Marrakesh, Morocco, was a huge success. It saw participation from over 900 exhibitors from 128 countries and attracted more than 35,000 attendees. The expo proved to be a successful showcase of the demand for global ICT expos in the region, with over 14,500 B2B meeting requests made during the event.
Beyond showcasing various global IT exhibitors and their cutting-edge technologies, GITEX Africa also features dynamic business and government activities. Highlights include the “GITEX Africa Digital Summit” and the “GITEX Africa Digital Executive Forum.” Here, influential leaders in African technology policy, including H.E. Ghita Mezzour, the Moroccan Minister of Digital Transition and Administration Reform, and H.E. Monica Musenero Masanza, the Ugandan Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, will share their insights.
Africa as the rising star of ICT industry
Africa is rapidly adopting digital transformation, with its AI market experiencing substantial growth. The AI market in Africa, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of approximately 27.5%, is expected to grow from $596.6 million in 2023 to $3.264 billion by 2030.
Data deficiency remains a challenge in African ICT
One of the primary challenges that remain, as highlighted by African ICT experts, is the region’s lack of data. For information and communication technologies to flourish, data is essential. Currently, the datasets used to train AI models contain minimal data relevant to the context of African countries. This leads to a mismatch between the rapidly growing demand for AI and the quality of AI that is available.
This issue extends to other domains of AI as well. For instance, the medical industry in Africa faces challenges due to the lack of localized AI data. This deficiency has led to instances where incorrect medical information is provided to African patients. Additionally, the insufficient training on diverse racial profiles for facial recognition technologies has led to wrongful arrests of innocent individuals who are mistakenly identified as suspects.
Professor Vukosi Marivate, Data Science Department Chair at the University of Pretoria, attributes the commonality of these issues to the scarcity of data. He emphasized that this is not a problem that can be resolved overnight. In addition, he called for the necessity for regulations to ensure that AI companies use balanced data. This presents a significant opportunity for companies capable of securing localized AI data, making Africa a potential land of opportunity.
These examples underscore the urgent need for more inclusive and contextually relevant data. These data gaps must be addressed to support the growth and development of African ICT industries. As a result, we can expect to improve the effectiveness and fairness of AI technologies in Africa.
Meet Flitto at GITEX Africa 2024
Flitto is proud to announce our participation in GITEX Africa 2024! We are excited to represent South Korea’s cutting-edge AI data technology. You can find us at booth 21B-62 in Hall 21, within the Korea Startup Pavilion.
Flitto will be showcasing Flitto Chat Translation and Live Translation, our AI solutions for multinational business conferences, seminars, and the tourism industry. The exceptional accuracy of Flitto’s language AI solutions will serve as a tool to significantly streamline international business operations.
Moreover, Flitto’s booth at GITEX Africa will be offering visitors with a chance to explore the high-quality AI data that supports Flitto’s effective AI solutions. Our cutting-edge speech recognition and translation demonstrate effectiveness across diverse accents and speech environments. This was made possible by the high-quality language data unique to the Flitto platform.
Since our inception as a crowdsourced translation platform in 2012, Flitto has evolved into a trusted AI data partner for major tech companies. As of 2024, our AI data platform serves 14 million users worldwide. Together, we are building the high-quality language data essential for the AI market.
We are committed to introducing our innovative AI and data technology to broader markets. By doing so, our goal is to ensure that everyone can benefit from the convenience of AI technologies without discrimination.
Join us at GITEX Africa to experience firsthand how Flitto’s solutions can contribute to your business and the growing ICT industry in Africa.
To book a meeting with Flitto at GITEX Africa 2024, click here.