The continent must not lose the momentum of its growth

a landline telephone in sub-Saharan Africa, more adults own cellphones in South Africa and Nigeria than in the US, according to a study by the Pew Research Center. In East Africa, mobile banking is a particularly common use for cellphones, and the practice has been adopted at a much higher rate than in more developed markets. Now, with the digital revolution in industry, Africa has a similar opportunity to make rapid progress in industrial production.

Businesses can make use of big data and connectivity to remotely monitor machines, plants and facilities, reducing downtime and increasing yield, and to develop new business models that rely on digital technologies to overcome distance and operate across borders.

Indeed, only by taking advantage of the benefits of automation, renewable energy, data analytics, cloud computing and other new processes will Africa be able to build robust industries capable of withstanding the competition they face today from lower-cost, higher-quality rivals in other parts of the globe.

Industry – and manufacturing, in particular – builds and runs the machines that enable agriculture and other sectors to become more productive. It provides the materials and tools to build and operate infrastructure. It raises people’s incomes and opens up new opportunities for growth in the service sector.

Manufacturing drives innovation, accounting for up to 90 percent of private-sector research and development spending. By harnessing the complete value chain, and building a strong manufacturing sector with the help of technologies associated with the Energy and Fourth Industrial Revolutions, we may find the African century is finally at hand.