As digital transformation continues to shape Africa’s economic landscape, the Global Africa Business Initiative (GABI) (https://GABI.UNGlobalCompact.org/) convened top public and private sector leaders at the Africa CEO Forum 2025. The high-level GABI Bridge session, focused on accelerating investment, collaboration, and aligning policy to support Africa’s digital advancement.
Held under the theme “Connect. Empower. Prosper: The Big Push for Digital Africa”, the GABI Bridge side event brought together decision-makers from government, industry, finance, and technology to address how Africa can build inclusive digital infrastructure, develop innovation ecosystems, and unlock scalable opportunities in the digital economy.
In her opening remarks, Sanda Ojiambo, Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact, emphasized the need for collective ambition:
“Africa’s digital future must be inclusive, sustainable, and African-led. This is not just a technological imperative – it’s an economic and social necessity. By investing in digital infrastructure, skilling our youth, and promoting innovation ecosystems, we empower Africa to lead in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”
Key Takeaways from the GABI Bridge at Africa CEO Forum 2025
- Urgent Acceleration Needed for Digital Infrastructure Investment
Public and private sector leaders highlighted the need to fast-track investment in Africa’s digital infrastructure. Despite significant strides in connectivity, vast rural and underserved areas remain at the edge, limiting access to digital tools, services, and opportunities. To bridge this gap, stakeholders stressed the need for coordinated investment strategies that combine public funding with private-sector innovation. Integrated finance models—leveraging government incentives, international development funding, and business investment—were core mechanisms to unlock sustainable financing for large-scale infrastructure projects.
- Cross-Sector Collaboration Essential for Scaling Digital Transformation
Speakers emphasized that digital progress relies on strategic collaboration across industries, sectors and borders. A central theme of the discussion was the necessity of stronger public-private partnerships to speed up infrastructure development, enhance regulatory frameworks, and promote digital transformation. Governments, multilateral institutions, private enterprises, and local innovators must join forces to build a digital landscape that is both inclusive and sustainable.
- Locally Led Tech Growth Must Be Prioritized
The session reinforced the critical need to empower Africa’s homegrown tech talent. Regulatory reforms, startup-friendly policies, and improved access to venture capital and accelerator programs are key to promoting a thriving local innovation landscape.
- A Cornerstone for Africa’s Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Success
Industry experts stated that digital trade is a powerful force boosting commerce across Africa. Seamless cross-border trade depends on harmonized regulatory frameworks that support digital transactions, reduce friction in e-commerce, and facilitate smoother movement of goods and services within African markets.
- Future-Proofing Education for the Digital Age
There was strong consensus on modernizing education systems to equip Africa’s youth with essential digital skills. Key recommendations included curriculum upgrades, teacher training investments, and closer collaboration between educational institutions and the tech sector.
Driving the Digital Agenda Forward
The GABI Bridge concluded with a clear mandate: turn commitments into investments, partnerships into scalable platforms, and digital ambition into measurable outcomes. As GABI continues to shape Africa’s role in the global economy, the GABI Bridge remains a crucial forum for aligning priorities, mobilizing resources, and driving actionable strategies.
![Canon (www.Canon-CNA.com) today announces the Colorado XL-series, a new platform of 3.4m printers that extends the proven advantages of Canon's UVgel technology to the 3.2m graphics market. Available in hybrid and roll-to-roll configurations, the modular, field upgradable platform powered by UVgel technology delivers great versatility and exceptional productivity for both flexible and rigid media applications from signage and décor to point of sale and packaging. The Colorado XL-series comprises two easy-to-operate models: the Colorado XL7 roll-to-roll printer and Colorado XL7 hybrid printer. The new series brings the benefits of UVgel to a new market segment with exceptional application versatility across a comprehensive range of media – from banner, paper, vinyl and films to soft signage, heat-sensitive materials, foam board, fluted polypropylene, acrylic, aluminium composite boards and cardboard – providing the flexibility to tackle diverse customer requirements. With print speeds of 70m² per hour in quality mode, 106m² per hour in production mode and up to 211m² per hour in express mode, the system delivers the productivity needed for demanding production environments while accommodating substrates up to 52mm/2 inches thick for rigid applications. The new platform includes multiple technology innovations, such as the UVgel 860 ink set, which has been optimised to cover a wide variety of both rigid and flexible applications. It also provides the proven benefits of UVgel: odourless and instant-dry prints, high mechanical and chemical robustness, dimensional stability due to low-temperature curing, excellent colour consistency, TPO [1] - and VCL [2] -free, and matte and gloss finish without the need of a separate varnish. The Colorado XL-series also incorporates new UVgel 850 PrintHeads. Each printhead has 4,544 nozzles and features automated built-in nozzle performance monitoring and compensation. A single printhead supports two colours simultaneously, so that only two printheads are required to print CMYK, plus an optional third if white is configured. Additionally, the Colorado XL-series has an agile and precise printhead carriage that features UVgel DynamicMotion Control to ensure exceptional print quality even with challenging media. Taking the UV LED curing process to the next level, the Colorado XL-series introduces UVgel FullBeam Curing. This technology uses a unique 3.4-metre-wide LED curing array that, combined with an ingenious mirror system, delivers consistent UV light dosing across the entire print width, guaranteeing exceptional print uniformity over large surfaces and enabling a wider colour gamut. Media handling is optimised by the new UVgel TRIdrive vacuum belt system, which features three interactive rollers and multiple powerful vacuum zones that reduce wrinkling and skewing by automatically detecting and correcting the media positioning. This results in highly repeatable media transport through the printer, ensuring accurate positioning both longitudinally and laterally and enabling razor-sharp applications. Optional features for the Colorado XL-series, which are already available on the highly successful and modular Colorado M-series, include: UVgel White for hassle-free white printing, FLXfinish+ for creative effects using matte or gloss or mixed matte and gloss on the same print without additional varnish, and FLXture for textured finishes that mimic materials like leather, wood or fabric. Mathew Faulkner, Director, Marketing & Innovation, Wide Format Printing Group, Canon EMEA, comments: "For the past decade, Canon has been at the forefront of the inkjet evolution in large format, with market-leading technologies including the Colorado roll-to-roll printer series powered by UVgel technology and the Arizona flatbed printers. Large format print providers are looking for systems that deliver high productivity, versatile applications and reliable quality while addressing the challenge of finding skilled operators – which is why Canon is launching our new, breakthrough Colorado XL-series, an addition to our portfolio that will set a new standard in productivity and versatility. “This innovative solution brings the proven advantages of our unique UVgel technology to the 3.2m market for the first time, combining it with extensive automation and a modular design that will enable customers to extend their application possibilities into markets such as packaging and décor. Print service providers already producing high-value signage and graphics can now leverage UVgel's distinctive finishes, including mixed gloss and matte effects and textured printing, at scale to stand out in these new markets. And with its hybrid capabilities, users can print both roll-to-roll and rigid applications on the same device, using the same ink, the same colour profiles and the same unique features and finishes. For brands, for example, this translates to seamless campaigns that span the full spectrum of applications, ensuring perfect consistency across campaign assets whether they're roll-fed graphics, rigid signage, packaging, or décor elements. This is particularly valuable when these different applications appear side by side in-store, where maintaining that consistent quality and finish elevates the entire brand experience that today's brands demand." The Colorado XL-series will be available from the beginning of 2026 via Canon’s direct sales organisations as well as from accredited partners. For more information about the Colorado XL-series, please visit: https://apo-opa.co/3WltKtM](https://businessinsights.africa/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/canon_prograf-80x60.png "Canon expands large format graphics production portfolio with new 3.4m Colorado XL-series")
