'Talking with young entrepreneurs from Abuja to Dar-es-Salaam, I’ve become ever more convinced that Africa can compete with any region in the world in terms of the imagination, ingenuity and energy needed to invent successful and purposeful businesses for the digital age.'

On the launch of our two major reports, Strive Masiyiwa, our co-chair and founder of Econet, wrote an op-ed for CNBC-Africa on the wealth of talent available on the continent. 'Tech hubs and accelerators are proliferating. Global interest, particularly in our fintech companies, is high, with mobile payments, remittances and lending platforms seeing a flurry of investment.'

However 'outside of these hubs', 'Africa still lags far behind other regions when it comes to the investment flowing into our new tech-based enterprises.' Strive highlights that 'the kind of inclusive growth and development our continent needs will not just happen if we carry on with business as usual.' He stresses that 'technology is going to drive rapid and radical change across the continent over the coming five years and beyond but its ultimate impact on the lives of citizens, especially the poorest and the excluded, will only be as good as the systems we put in place to manage it.'

Strive mentions the work of the commission, particularly the pathway 'focused on raising value from agriculture' as 'agriculture really is one of the key frontiers for African entrepreneurs.'

Strive believes that 'responding to technological change requires vision, purpose and strategy' and that 'if we can truly unleash Africa's entrepreneurial spirit, [Africa] can lead the world in pioneering tech-fueled inclusive growth.'

You can read Strive Masiyiwa's full op-ed for CNBC-Africa here.