Zambia’s President, Hakainde Hichilema, praised the work of people like Vitalik Buterin, who have demonstrated support for the country’s modern vision, in a tweet on Sunday. Buterin has expressed his support for the country that aspires to be Africa’s digital hub.
With the help of an advisory committee of young tech entrepreneurs from within and outside the country, Zambia’s current leadership hopes to transform the country into the centre of all things digitised in Africa. The project is presently supported by over 40 organisations, including the Ethereum Foundation.
Mwiya Musokotwane, one of the project’s pioneers, stated, “Ultimately, it comes down to being welcome.” The committee will gather in the country’s capital, Lusaka, in May to develop policy suggestions to make the vision a reality. Notably, Buterin had called the President earlier this year to express his support. During an interview, Buterin stated, “I was amazed by everyone’s willingness to go and do huge things.”
In response to Hichilema, Buterin tweeted today, “Looking forward to seeing more blockchain and crypto projects make an impact in Zambia and in Africa more broadly!” The Ethereum founder went on to say that, while there was still a lot of work to be done to make this a reality, it provided “many unique chances.”
In 2021, African startups generated a stunning $5 billion, the majority of which were in finance. And it’s not only companies; the continent has a thriving industry for blockchain technology and cryptocurrency. In 2021, the number of crypto users in Africa increased by a stunning 2500 percent. The rapid adoption of blockchain technology by Africans can be attributed in part to socioeconomic circumstances that push people to use technology to create and keep wealth.
