Senegal’s $1.7bn digital gamble: can Faye turn a youthful nation into Africa’s next tech powerhouse?

• Senegal targets 15% GDP from digital by 2034
• Debt pressures raise questions over funding ambition

DAKAR, SENEGAL – Senegal is betting its economic future on a sweeping digital transformation, even as fiscal pressures mount and sceptics question whether the country can afford its ambition.

A few years ago, the word “numerique” — French for digital — barely resonated beyond policy circles in Senegal. Today, it defines the country’s economic conversation.