The FTTx Council Africa has embarked on a rebranding strategy, changing its name to the Digital Council Africa, it announced this morning.

Juanita Clark remains CEO of the Digital Council Africa.

Founded in 2010 by Juanita Clark and industry veteran Richard Came, the organisation worked to expand the deployment of high-speed fibre-optic infrastructure in Africa.

Under the new banner, the Digital Council plans to focus on the expectations of a gigabit society, according to its statement.

The organisation further explains that the name change is part of the strategy targeted to emphasise the strength of its commitment to helping Africa embrace digital transformation and take up its rightful place in the global innovation race.

“COVID-19 clearly revealed that digital technologies will bring widespread disruption and will, with it, unlock new opportunities for rapid economic growth, innovation, job creation and access to services,” says the statement. “The goal of the organisation is to stimulate growth in the digital sector by sharing knowledge on this subject with policy-makers, operators and influencers.

“The Digital Council believes rebranding will enable us to expand the conversation that is needed to accomplish our objectives, which is to foster and develop the digital economy in Africa.

“The new name will place us in a position where we can have a more inclusive conversation across a wider audience, which will help us and the continent grow and participate in the disruption. For our existing members, we remain committed to the causes that got us here in the first place.”

The Digital Council will continue to be led by industry stalwart Andile Ngcaba as its president, while Clark will remain as CEO.