The NECLive 2025 session titled Accessing the Global Creative Innovation in a Digital Economy brought together leaders from telecoms, digital services and payments to examine how Africa can position itself more competitively in the global digital economy. Dominique Ntirushwa, CEO of Streampay Platforms Africa, opened the discussion by stressing the need to reduce the cost of data for African consumers. He explained that affordable streaming remains one of the biggest barriers to digital participation and argued that lowering data costs will help creators reach more audiences while improving monetization.
He added that his company is working on systems that ensure every dollar spent by a consumer is paid out transparently and efficiently to creators. According to him, Africa’s streaming sector still has a large untapped tax base and revenue potential, and reducing data costs is key to unlocking it.
Panelists agreed that access, affordability and payment structures are central to Africa’s next phase of digital growth. They concluded that the continent’s creative industry cannot grow at scale unless streaming becomes cheaper and easier to access.
