The much-talked about Internet of Things (IoT) will only become relevant for Africa when it starts enabling stakeholders to effectively tackle the real challenges the continent faces on a daily basis, a panel has agreed.

IoT is seen as more of an ecosystem that, for Africa, requires more thoughtful input into what it could mean for the continent.

“[The technology] is very different in Africa when compared with Europe [and other continents or countries,]” said Kwese IT operations head Abdul Baba, indicating that the IoT needs of European countries, for example, differed vastly from the needs of countries within Africa.

Itec SA bids and tenders head Daniel Lotter said that there was a need to consider what solutions Africa required in order to deal with its unique challenges.

“We need to take a step back and understand what IoT means in terms of Africa – have a look at our approach and how we do things in Africa and South Africa,” he told delegates at the yearly IoT Forum Africa, held in late March.

However, Real Telematics COO Craig Boshoff commented that the surface in terms of the continent’s needs had not even been scratched, nor had there been an in-depth review of how powerful IoT applications could assist with security, agriculture and water, besides others, remotely and in rural, sparse, hard-to-reach regions.

“There are many challenges in Africa to solve – IoT becomes relevant when it starts tackling the real African challenges we have,” said Absa technology relationship banking and digital banker head Lindelani Ramukumba.

“We have proven that we can do that as Africans. If we define those challenges on a day-to-day basis and leverage innovative technologies, [IoT] will become sustainable,” he added.

“We need to make it work for us in the African way,” Baba agreed.

Lotter noted, however, that what was missing amid machine-to-machine communications were ‘things’ talking to people and the people aspect of IoT.

“It should be the ‘Internet of people’ when we are dealing with Africa,” he elaborated, with Baba noting that it was not necessarily about the technology, but about everything happening around the ecosystem.

Huawei Technologies IoT and digital video executive product manager George Kalebaila believes that another mismatch has become apparent as IoT has been taken as a blanket technology to be sold for solutions, as opposed to being approached as a use case solution developed for specific challenges or problems.

Meanwhile, Baba said that IoT presented a “great opportunity” for Africa, as the continent was “sitting in a good position” in a market that was predicted to reach $1.7-trillion worldwide by 2020.

South Africa would account for $2-billion of this.

Africa’s ability to “leapfrog” can position it to become the number one player in the world in terms of IoT solutions.

“Look at solutions for our country that we can own to allow us to enter the global competition stream of innovative and disruptive ideas, that will bring the world to South Africa for IoT solutions,” urged Communications Deputy Minister Pinky Kekana.

“In South Africa, we are looking at what this means for our citizens both in the metropolitans and in rural areas,” she added, saying the focus should remain on where it was most required to improve the lives of those who needed it the most.

South Africa should become leader of IoT solutions, she concluded.