Smart Devices in Africa

Welcome to Smart Devices in Africa!

Smart devices are reshaping daily life, public services, agriculture, health, and financial inclusion across Africa. This merged course combines the Smart Devices Ecosystem programme with the 15 Pillars of Smart Devices framework, giving policymakers and sector officials a complete toolkit: from understanding how device ecosystems work to applying a structured 15-pillar analysis to drive inclusive adoption in their own contexts.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Explain what smart devices are, how they form ecosystems, and the three roles they play: control interfaces, data collectors, and communicators
• Apply the 15 pillars framework across Foundation, Value Chain, Critical Issues, and Implementation categories to analyse smart device adoption challenges
• Evaluate pillar-specific recommendations and select those most relevant to a local context
• Design a focused smart device implementation intervention grounded in the 15 pillars diagnostic

Who is this course for?

This course is designed for policymakers, regulators, and sector officials working on digital economy, ICT strategy, and smart device adoption in African countries. It is highly beneficial for individuals who are:

• Working in ICT ministries, national agencies, or sector coordination bodies responsible for digital inclusion and device adoption strategy
• Development finance professionals and programme officers working on digital inclusion projects involving smart device deployment
• Sector specialists in health, agriculture, education, or financial services who want to leverage smart device adoption for their sector's goals