Africa Tech Summit set to kick off in Rwanda

The Africa Tech Summit is set to kick off in Rwanda, bringing together over 400 digital leaders, tech corporates, and investors to explore the latest opportunities and innovations in the tech industry. Lawrence Muthoga, Bredth and Community Manager at Microsoft 4Afrika, joined CNBC Africa to shed light on Microsoft's role in driving tech innovation across the continent. Muthoga emphasized the immense opportunity for Microsoft to engage, learn, and collaborate with like-minded individuals to explore the potential of artificial intelligence in developing impactful solutions for Africa. Microsoft's key focus at the summit is harnessing artificial intelligence to drive significant improvements in various sectors. One of the critical aspects highlighted by Muthoga is the importance of ensuring that tech solutions are relevant and accessible to the local context in Africa. He mentioned specific projects where Microsoft is actively involved, such as Farmbeats in agriculture, which aims to empower farmers to enhance crop yields using technology devices. Additionally, in the financial services sector, Microsoft is enabling mobile money lenders to assess the creditworthiness of their clients through cloud-powered solutions. Muthoga also brought attention to a pioneering project in Nigeria, MyMusic, a startup utilizing chatbots to help local musicians promote their music and gain more visibility. This initiative showcases Microsoft's commitment to not only developing its software but also empowering and enabling third-party developers and organizations to leverage their platforms for innovation. When questioned about the future direction of Microsoft in Africa, Muthoga emphasized that the company's mission is to enable every individual and organization to achieve more. He highlighted that Microsoft is evolving into an enabler, supporting software developers and companies to create their applications while also enhancing its own software to integrate newer technologies. Overall, Microsoft's presence at the Africa Tech Summit underscores its commitment to driving tech innovation in Africa by fostering collaboration, empowering local initiatives, and leveraging cutting-edge technologies to address pressing challenges across various sectors.