The Partnership for Digital Access in Africa (PDAA) is a public-private partnership of leaders from Africa, the United States, and other parts of the world focused on doubling the number of people connected to and meaningfully using the internet in Africa. President Biden’s commitment to supporting the “Digital Transformation with Africa” (DTA) at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit and Vice President Harris’s Call to Action to the private sector set the stage for this groundbreaking initiative.

our goal

Driven not only by economic opportunities but also by the moral imperative to bridge Africa's digital divide, PDAA’s strategy serves to assist and accelerate institutions in achieving the goal of doubling the number of Africans connected to the internet to

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BY 2030

THE THREE PILLARS OF PDAA

For the next several years, PDAA and its public and private partners will work with current efforts in Africa to accomplish a proportionate amount of our 2030 goals. Our three primary objectives are:

Expand affordable internet and broadband services:

We will work to make the highest performance and lowest cost broadband available to as many Africans as possible. The most recent estimates of internet usage by gender suggest connected women are only two thirds of connected men; we are aiming for gender parity in internet usage.

Lower device cost:

We intend to make accessibility to internet-enabled devices (smartphones) and digital technology more affordable throughout Africa and ensure an equitable gender ratio of those who have access to these devices.

Enhance digital skills:

We will assist in the upskilling of millions of Africans with the necessary capacity to effectively and efficiently use digital technology, aiming for digital skills gender parity.

mission 

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Our mission is to double the number of people connected to the internet in Africa, from the current 500 million to a targeted 1 billion people by 2030. With respect to women and girls, the goal is to increase connectivity from approximately 200 million to at least 500 million, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.