Microsoft’s Africa Transformation Office will drive strategic initiatives across Africa to accelerate digital
transformation and economic prosperity
To enable digital transformation powered by Africans for Africa, Microsoft is doubling down on its
investment in the continent with the establishment of the Africa Transformation Office (ATO), led by
managing director Wael Elkabbany. Under Elkabbany’s leadership, the ATO will partner with public and
private organizations to empower millions of Africans and foster economic prosperity.
Elkabbany moves from leading enterprise sales for the company across the Middle East and Africa, and
previously held roles at British Telecom and other leading businesses in the region. Hailing from Egypt, he
holds a B.Sc. in communication engineering, and postgraduate studies in corporate governance,
international trade, and financial planning.
“We’ve been present in Africa for 30 years, with major investments that have tangibly impacted the
continent’s economic growth. Now is the time for us to increase this investment and play a larger role in
enabling transformation and economic prosperity,” says Microsoft Middle East and Africa corporate vice
president and president Samer Abu-Ltaif. “With his experience in driving cloud adoption at scale, and
deep understanding of Africa, Wael Elkabbany was the ideal choice to lead our new digital engagement
strategy.”
There is a pressing need to adopt digital platforms to accelerate Africa’s economic growth. This means
investment in network infrastructure and high-speed access solutions, together with an intentional focus on
regulatory and commercial reforms. Innovation in cloud services will better enable Africans to participate
in the global digital economy, however, these opportunities come with challenges that need to be
addressed to unlock the continent’s full digital potential.
Elkabbany’s team will focus on enabling growth and fuelling investment in four essential development
areas – digital infrastructure, skilling, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and startups. Understanding
that these ambitious goals cannot be achieved alone, strategic partnerships with governments,
international organizations, multinationals, and African enterprises will accelerate investments in Africa
and increase the continent’s export of digital services.
“While the African opportunity is immense, the challenges are complex, and no one company or
government can solve them alone. We are working across sectors, technologies, and borders to foster
partnerships and develop solutions that will have a lasting impact. Microsoft is committed to rethinking
how and why we develop digital solutions and strategies to better serve the needs of Africa, and I am
enthusiastic about the opportunity to help build a truly connected continent,” concludes Elkabbany.
