Cape Verde bets on tech to reverse postcolonial brain drain

Cape Verde is leveraging technology and digital innovation to address one of the world’s highest emigration rates and transform its economy. The West African archipelago, historically a hub in the transatlantic slave trade and now home to around 529,000 people, is aiming to become a digital hub for West Africa and the broader African diaspora. The government established a digital economy ministry in 2021 with the goal of making the sector contribute 25% of the country’s GDP by 2030, accelerating efforts to diversify beyond tourism, which was severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Key initiatives include expanding digital governance services, improving internet infrastructure, and fostering a startup ecosystem through facilities like TechParkCV in Praia. The country boasts a 75% internet penetration rate, double the African average, and is integrating robotics and coding education into schools. Undersea internet cables are being laid along historic Atlantic routes, symbolically linking Cape Verde’s past with its digital future. Secretary of State for the Digital Economy Pedro Fernandes Lopes envisions Cape Verde as a beacon for the free movement of human and financial capital across the African diaspora, drawing inspiration from Estonia’s successful digitization model. The digital push is also aimed at reversing the brain drain that has long challenged Cape Verde, where emigration rates remain among the highest globally relative to population. TechParkCV, a £44.78 million technology facility, supports startups and youth training, providing opportunities for local talent to thrive domestically rather than seeking prospects abroad. Jessica Sanches Tavares, an adviser at TechParkCV, acknowledges ongoing challenges but remains optimistic about the country’s trajectory. The initiative reflects a broader ambition to rewrite Cape Verde’s historical narrative by fostering economic resilience and technological advancement within the islands and its extensive diaspora community.