At the forefront • Chapter summary

Digitalization has remained a key priority for the government since 2009, when the first strategic plan laid out key e-government objective to reach by 2013. Accordingly, Maroc Numeric 2013 was launched as part of a royal initiative to establish the country as a continental tech hub.

Progress in recent years has been noticeable. Today, applications for identity documents and passports are fully digitalized, and the payment of bills and processes for establishing a business can be done online. Morocco ranks among the top-10 countries in the world in the Universal Postal Union’s ranking of countries that have succeeded in achieving true digitalization. Such achievements have significantly contributed to Morocco’s recent leap to 53rd globally in the World Bank’s Doing Business 2020 report.

Industry leaders we spoke to similarly concurred that Morocco leads the African continent and that the country is a prominent African leader in ICT and digitalization. With the latest strategic plan, Maroc Numeric 2020, coming to an end, stakeholders are evaluating the impact thus far and the current reality of digital transformation to more effectively draft the next plan. The conclusion is clear; Morocco has yet to achieve its ambitious objectives. There is also room for improvement in e-government services. Among the main challenges that hamper growth are a visible lack of an integrated vision for digital transformation in the country. And as technological innovation accelerates, flexibility and agility remain critical.

Consequently, in January 2019, the head of government entrusted the Digital Development Agency (ADD) with the task of drafting the main guidelines for the 2020-2025 digital strategy. Upgrading public services, improving the productivity and competitiveness of the national economy, and reducing social inequalities are at the core of the new digital plan.

Decision makers in the sector agree on the need to create strong local ecosystems of developers and innovators that enable constant innovation. This will ensure that new technologies are tailored to the economic needs of every city’s local ecosystem. Several of our interviewees discussed their increased focus on digitalization and innovation—an emphasis that materialized in the form of creating subsidiaries centered on innovation. Many of these subsidiaries are equally focused on building local capacities through supporting SMEs and addressing the ICT skills gap.

Within the communications sector specifically, traditional media remains powerful. Television channels such as 2M—which has a share of 35% on average per day—reach 10-15 million Moroccans daily, while the written press and radio stations also retain their importance. ✖