Hélio Santana, Director of Client Services at technology firm New Cognito, has argued that Angola possesses modern technological infrastructure but must still translate that installed capacity into digital services and tangible economic value.
The remarks were made during the inaugural edition of Rota 404 Experience, held on Saturday, 1 August, in Luanda — an initiative that brought together specialists, students, and professionals from the technology sector.
Santana called on Angola to prioritise the expansion of broadband connectivity, the development of public digital infrastructure, and the improvement of technology-supported public services.
"More than building infrastructure, it is necessary to convert that base into real services and economic value," he said.
Addressing the future of work, the New Cognito executive noted that by 2030, approximately 170 million new jobs could be created globally, while more than 92 million roles may be displaced or profoundly transformed by technological change.
In his view, Africa — and Angola in particular — is well positioned to benefit from this transformation, given its predominantly young population, the growing uptake of mobile technologies, and the breadth of challenges that still demand innovative solutions.
"This combination of factors represents an enormous potential for innovation, entrepreneurship, and the creation of technological solutions capable of addressing the country's needs," he said.
The expert identified limited connectivity, high access costs, a shortage of specialised skills, low digital maturity among organisations, and cybersecurity risks as the main challenges facing Angola's digital market.
Despite those constraints, he pointed to opportunities across fintech, govtech, edtech, healthtech, agritech, and logistics, while also advocating for greater investment in cybersecurity — including Security Operations Centres (SOCs), continuous monitoring systems, and data protection mechanisms.
Santana further stressed the importance of strengthening digital inclusion, developing technological competencies, and establishing a secure and trustworthy digital environment to accelerate the growth of the digital economy.
Speaking directly to students and professionals in the sector, he called for specialisation in programming and systems integration, and advocated for a technology architecture built on interconnected solutions rather than a single centralised system, in order to reduce operational risk.
Rota 404 is an initiative dedicated to the development and acceleration of careers in the technology sector through mentoring, events, networking, and strategic guidance, connecting talent to the labour market and preparing a new generation of professionals for the challenges of the digital economy.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/?p=526992
