Davos has once again set the tone for global economic debate, but for Africa, the most consequential conversations at the World Economic Forum are not about futuristic promises.
They are about execution, connectivity and partnerships, the unglamorous fundamentals that will ultimately decide whether the continent’s digital economy delivers real growth.
That message came through clearly in a CNBC Africa interview with Telkom Group CEO Serame Taukobong on the sidelines of the WEF 2026.
Speaking to CNBC Africa, Taukobong argued that Africa does not suffer from a lack of vision, but from a gap between ambition and delivery. Digital transformation, he said, only becomes real when infrastructure reaches people and when public and private players align behind shared outcomes.
The Telkom Group CEO stressed that shared digital infrastructure, rather than fragmented competition, will determine whether African economies can compete globally.
“Digital transformation is not driven by ambition alone. It materialises when infrastructure reaches people and leadership consistently moves from dialogue to delivery,” he said.
That view resonated across Davos, where African leaders and tech executives are pushing a more pragmatic narrative about the continent.
With only a fraction of Africans meaningfully connected to the internet, discussions around artificial intelligence, platforms and advanced digital services risk becoming abstract.
As highlighted by Taukobong, ambitions around AI are meaningless without universal access, reliable energy, efficient transport and resilient digital networks.
“A strong Eskom is critical, a strong transport sector is critical. Then you start to see that a strong Telkom becomes a foundation for digital transformation,” he stated.
Africa’s presence at Davos 2026 extended beyond Telkom. The South African Delegation to the global showpiece, led by Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana, is using the forum to position infrastructure reform, logistics modernisation, and digital connectivity as central to economic recovery.
On the other hand, Nigerian business and policy leaders are focused on energy transition, capital mobilisation and technology-enabled growth, while other African tech voices are pushing conversations around data infrastructure, cloud capacity and regional integration as prerequisites for scale.
Within that context, Telkom has been positioning itself not simply as a telecommunications operator, but as part of the digital backbone of South Africa and, increasingly, the continent.
The company’s strategy, echoed by its leadership team, including Group executive for corporate communications Batlile Phaladi-Gumede, is anchored in partnerships, shared infrastructure and cross-sector collaboration to extend mobile, fibre, cloud and data services beyond urban centres.
As Davos made clear, Africa’s digital future will not be shaped by slogans, but by who can execute, connect and collaborate at scale.
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