THE AFRICA BAZAAR Staff Writer
September 4, 2019
The World Bank, World Economic Forum, and the Government of Rwanda—supported by the UK’s Department for International Development—have announced that Rwanda will host the African Drone Forum in February 2020. The international event will feature a symposium, expo, and a series of flying competitions focused on expanding drone technology and unmanned traffic management across the continent.
Africa has emerged as a global leader in drone innovation, with national-scale delivery operations such as Zipline already running in Rwanda and Ghana and pilot programs underway in Malawi and Zambia.
Drones are increasingly seen as a solution to the continent’s limited transport infrastructure and its $50 billion infrastructure investment gap. However, many African countries still restrict civilian drone use.
Timothy Reuter, Head of Aerospace and Drones at the World Economic Forum, said the region stands to gain significantly from expanding drone operations, particularly in business, agriculture and healthcare. “To realize this potential, new policies are needed to safely open African airspace,” he said.
Rwanda was chosen as host due to its progressive drone regulations and pioneering use of Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) medical delivery drones. ICT and Innovation Minister Paula Ingabire said the forum will allow Rwanda to share its regulatory experience and support regional collaboration on UAV technologies.
The Flying competitions will bring together leading drone companies to demonstrate real-world applications. The event is backed by DANIDA, the Republic of Korea and other development partners. Applications for participation are open until 30 September 2019 at africandroneforum.org.
