GITEX Africa 2025 Was a Missed Opportunity for East Africa — and Here’s Why
- Timothy Laku
- Apr 20
- 4 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
GITEX Africa showcased the continent's growing tech power, attracting startups, governments, and investors ready to shape Africa's digital future. However, the absence of an official East African pavilion was a missed strategic opportunity.
Visibility drives influence: Without official representation, East African countries missed key opportunities to pitch innovation, attract investments, and form strategic partnerships.
Tech diplomacy matters: GITEX Africa was as much about deal-making and national branding as it was about technology showcases.
The future belongs to those who show up: To shape Africa’s digital transformation agenda, East African nations must be proactive, visible, and coordinated at global platforms like GITEX.
MARRAKECH, MOROCCO — The recently concluded GITEX Africa 2025, held under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, gathered more than 180,000 participants, including governments, investors, and technology leaders from across the globe.
Yet amidst the buzz, funding deals, and national showcases, East Africa was conspicuously underrepresented.
While countries like Nigeria, Egypt, and Morocco made bold statements through official pavilions, showcasing startups and state-backed digital initiatives, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania had no formal presence on the exhibition floor.
We had government officials from the three countries speaking on panels and a few startups and businesses with booths, but what was lacking was a bold, unified national presence on the exhibition floor that showcases our ecosystems, backs our startups, and attracts investment at scale.
For a region long considered a continental leader in digital innovation, the absence raises questions about missed opportunities — not just for visibility, but for strategic positioning in Africa’s fast-evolving digital landscape.
A Stage for Innovation and Diplomacy
GITEX Africa is not merely a technology trade show. It has rapidly become a deal-making platform, a forum for policy positioning, and a launchpad for national innovation agendas.
Governments used the event to announce AI strategies, pitch national infrastructure projects, and attract global venture capital. Countries with coordinated showcases had the advantage of drawing attention to their startups, regulatory frameworks, and innovation pipelines.
For East African nations — rich in talent, growing ecosystems, and digital ambition — the lack of presence at such a forum may have cost them leverage.
Kenya’s Silent Seat at the Table
Kenya, widely regarded as a continental tech powerhouse and home to the celebrated “Silicon Savannah,” was notably absent in an official capacity with a unified national presence on the exhibition floor.
Over the last decade, Kenya has produced some of Africa’s most transformative digital innovations — from M-Pesa to Ushahidi, and more recently, the growing tech ecosystem around Konza Technopolis and Nairobi Garage.
Yet no coordinated national effort was made to showcase these developments.
Without a central platform, individual startups were left to navigate the global stage on their own — limiting the collective narrative Kenya could have delivered.
Uganda's Innovation in the Shadows
Uganda has quietly emerged as a hub for socially driven tech solutions. From AI chatbots offering mental health support to youth-focused hubs like Innovation Village, the country is full of impactful stories waiting to be told.
The Ugandan government has articulated its ambitions through the Digital Uganda Vision, outlining pathways for e-governance, rural connectivity, and digital skilling.
However, without a national booth or official representation, many of these initiatives failed to reach international investors and ecosystem leaders gathered in Marrakech.
Tanzania’s Untapped Digital Diplomacy
With a population of over 65 million and a government investing in digital public services, Tanzania is poised for rapid digital growth.
Agencies like TCRA and COSTECH are laying groundwork in smart infrastructure, digital IDs, and e-health — areas ripe for global collaboration.
A formal presence at GITEX would have offered Tanzania a venue to attract investment, forge regional partnerships, and enhance visibility of its emerging GovTech sector.
Instead, the opportunity passed quietly.
What’s at Stake?
In today's hyperconnected economy, visibility shapes investment, partnership, and influence.
The global tech ecosystem is watching Africa — and participating in forums like GITEX is no longer optional.
For East African countries, the cost of absence is not only measured in lost funding opportunities but also in missed chances to shape the policy, infrastructure, and narrative around Africa’s digital future.
If the region is to maintain its leadership in fintech, agritech, and e-health — and export more than just tech talent — then presence at global events must become part of a wider innovation diplomacy strategy.
The Road Ahead
GITEX Africa 2026 is on the horizon. The lesson from 2025 is clear: if East Africa wants a say in how the continent’s digital economy unfolds, it must show up — loudly and intentionally.
Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania have the tools, talent, and ambition. What remains is the will to step into the spotlight. Let's have a bold, unified national presence on the exhibition floor that showcases our ecosystems, backs our startups, and attracts investment at scale.
Global tech platforms are no longer just about visibility; they are deal rooms where partnerships are formed, investments are secured, and national innovation narratives are built.
For East Africa to maintain its leadership and influence, intentional participation and ecosystem representation must be prioritized at future global events. It's time.
About the Author: Timothy Laku is a CIO/CTO with over 20 years of experience leading digital transformation initiatives across Africa. He has launched 100+ digital innovation projects and serves as a trusted advisor to several boards, social impact organizations, and AI startups. He is a speaker at global technology forums and a strong advocate for inclusive innovation and tech-driven development.
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