Rwanda is continuing to position itself as a leader in innovation and technology in Africa. Currently, it is one of Africa's innovative countries, embracing new technologies for its development and people's welfare. As the country continues to progress, here are five key technological developments that Rwandans may enjoy in the next five years.
1. Digital identification
The digital identification for citizens, a project that the government has started, is a technological feat that Rwandans should expect in the next three years.
In May this year, members of parliament voted in favour of the digital ID, and if things go according to plan, Rwandans may start to use such IDs in 2026.
The digital ID will come in two versions; a physical card as well as an unprinted one that can be authenticated online by use of biometrics.
It is expected to improve online transactions since the clients' identities can be authenticated during the buying and selling process.
The ID is also tipped to promote easier access to government services as well as being a gateway to cross-border payments which can be of great importance to Africans in the diaspora who want to trade with the local population.
2. Electric-powered public transport
Starting in 2024, Rwandans may begin to have a taste of electric public transport.
The New Times understands that Ritco, a major public transport company in Rwanda, will be piloting e-buses next year, and if it goes well, it may be scaled up.
E-mobility is something that Rwanda has been working on in the past few years, especially in terms of establishing charging stations. With such, investors who want to bring e-buses will not find it very difficult.
3. Greater use of virtual (VR) and extended reality (ER)
Rwanda has already made use of VR, for example in the tourism sector where the mountain gorilla trekking experience has been previously taken to people's living rooms through the tech.
However, that is just a small portion of what VR can ER can do. Heather Bellini, a top software and internet analyst working with Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said she expects virtual and augmented reality to become an $80 billion market by 2025.
VR can be used in education to enhance student learning and engagement in tourism to give sightseers a decent experience without travelling to the actual sceneries, and so on.
Babu Kamanzi, a VR enthusiast who dreams of creating a VR digital archive for Rwandan Culture, reckons an increased use of virtual reality in the future, to the extent that in coming years, it will be common to own virtual reality headsets.
VR has huge potential in many sectors, for example, in healthcare, it could be used to train doctors and improve decision-making under pressure. VR-based systems could also support the therapeutic process, for example, by reaching out to people who struggle with anxiety.
4. 5G internet
Rwanda seems to be one of the African countries that are the most upbeat for 5G internet.
Early in June, it was announced that the government is preparing to pilot 5G by the end of this year, aiming to leverage high-speed internet to deliver services more efficiently.
As part of the revised National Broadband Policy and Strategy released in October 2022, Rwanda intends to establish 5G-related infrastructure.
The pilot projects will be conducted with 16 sites planned for set up in collaboration with telecommunication companies.
According to the Ericsson Mobility Report released in June 2022, 5G scales the fastest of all previous mobile tech generations. 5G offers capabilities greater than 4G, with lower latency. 5G can improve experiences with augmented reality or VR.
5G has many applied advantages in areas such as industrial automation, utilities like weather monitoring, or healthcare - for example, remote surgeries.
5. Increased use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning
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Across the world, machine learning and user interfaces such as speech and gesture recognition are picking up, and they are only expected to advance.
Besides global AI platforms like ChatGPT which are continuing to gather popularity even in Rwanda, there are local AI initiatives that Rwandans have come up with, for example, 'Digital Umuganda'.
Invented by Audace Niyonkuru, 'Digital Umuganda', a local artificial intelligence start-up, focuses on voice technologies to balance access to information and services, thus helping to bridge the digital divide gap.
Niyonkuru's start-up does this through international initiatives like 'Common Voice', which links global efforts to local communities.
'Common Voice' is a crowdsourcing project started by Mozilla to create a free database for speech recognition software.
AI is also progressively part of the government's plans to improve public services. It is being used with the objective to increase efficiency in the delivery of services and ensure equitable access to services, and it is expected to be used more in fields like agriculture.
