Gitex, the region's premier Information and Communications Technology (ICT) event, will this week embark on a roadshow of the African continent, spanning 12 countries across East, West and North Africa.

As part of Gitex’s ‘Africa in Focus’ campaign, the team will meet with key government organisations, industry associations, embassies, and leading ICT companies to discuss the dynamic opportunities available to companies in Africa looking to expand their businesses across boundaries.

Gitex Technology Week will be held in Dubai from October 14-18.

Africa is a significant contributor to the growing global ICT market, which is valued at over $3 trillion. According to the global market research and consulting company IDC's top 10 technology predictions for 2012, ICT spending by the government sector in the Middle East and Africa is set to increase by 15.1 per cent year on year in 2012 to reach $7.41 billion.

With the Middle East ICT sector remaining resilient, Dubai continues to be an ideal gateway for companies focused on strengthening their presence in this region.

“There are sizeable opportunities for ICT companies in Africa to grow and expand its reach as the markets mature and infrastructure develops,” said Trixee Loh, senior vice president, Dubai World Trade Centre. “Through these roadshows, we will work closely with the relevant governments and industry officials to foster ties and explore trade opportunities that will be mutually beneficial to all.”

The roadshow will kicked off in Nairobi, Kenya today (April 12), where the Gitex team will meet representatives from Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. While in Nairobi, the team will meet officials from Kenya ICT Board, which this week announced its aim to be among the top 10 ICT hubs in the world.

Kenya’s national ICT Master Plan, an initiative by the Ministry of Information and Communication, aims to drive aggressive growth in the ICT sector by 2017, contributing up to 25 per cent to the country’s GDP.

The roadshow aims to bring in further participation from other African countries such as Nigeria, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Cameroon, Ghana and Senegal, which will be covered in early May, offering exhibitors lucrative networking opportunities, product showcasing, brand launch platforms and tangible returns on investment.

Last year, Gitex attracted over 3,500 exhibiting companies and over 138,000 attendees from 144 countries. The ‘Africa in Focus’ campaign in 2011 saw a 21% increase in visitors from Nigeria, Sudan, Kenya, Libya and South Africa. Gitex 2012 will also be targeting trade delegations from Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Turkey, India, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.  - TradeArabia News Service