Think photonics is a thing of Western high-tech labs? Think again. In Nigeria, a group of young researchers is using optical spectroscopy to rapidly detect contamination in drinking water supplies. In Kenya the largest wind farm in Africa, Lake Turkana Wind Project, uses photonic sensors to optimize energy production.
Photonics in Africa is people's lives, not a fairy tale. It is a story that too often goes unnoticed, crushed by stereotypical narratives that paint the continent as backward or technologically dependent. The truth is that in the field of photonics, Africa is becoming a laboratory of innovation that combines necessity and creativity to create surprisingly effective solutions that are often more sustainable than those developed in the Global North. And for a continent literally immersed in light, this is no small opportunity.
Photonics: The Hidden Potential of Light
Photonics, the science of generating, controlling, and detecting light, is a tremendous opportunity for Africa. If the 20th century was dominated by the electron and electronics, the 21st century relies on the photon to drive scientific progress. And Africa, with its abundance of sunlight and the vast distances to cover, represents the ideal terrain for innovative applications of this technology.
The history of African photonics already offers notable examples. Ahmed Zewail (Egyptian) and Serge Harouche (Moroccan) contributed to two Nobel Prizes based on optics: the first one observed ultrafast processes in chemistry thanks to lasers, the second one studied the behavior of single particles of light, photons. And now, What possible applications are being prepared? Here they are.
Connectivity without digging
One of the most promising applications of photonics in Africa is in the field of telecommunications. The project Taara from Alphabet is a brilliant example. This system uses a chip the size of a fingernail to transmit high-speed internet through the air using beams of light, reaching speeds of 10 gigabits per second.
The advantage? Installation takes just a few days, instead of the months or years required to lay traditional fiber optics. A key difference in bringing high-speed connectivity to currently unserved areas.
In Cameroon, the Central Africa Fiber Optic Backbone (CAB) project is extending the national network by a further 916 kilometres, by establishing connections with neighboring countries. The aim is to reduce the (still too high) costs of telecommunications.
Health and environment
Photonics in Africa goes far beyond telecommunications. In the medical field, researchers are developing light-based diagnostic devices that can work in resource-limited settings. Optical spectroscopy allows you to analyze quickly biological samples to detect infectious diseases such as malaria or tuberculosis, offering timely diagnoses even in the most remote areas.
As for the environment, interesting studies on the photonic sensors used to monitor soil quality, prevent drought and optimize agriculture. In Egypt e Algeria, researchers have tested optical communication systems capable of functioning even in adverse weather conditions, a crucial aspect on a continent vulnerable to climate change.
Solar Energy and Photonics: A Natural Combination
Africa, with its abundant solar radiation, represents the ideal context for the integration of photonics and renewable energy. In Algeria, Eni has developed an effective solar energy research and production model to power industrial plants in the Sahara Desert, reducing the carbon footprint of its operations.
Kenya it's a virtuous example: produces 70% of its energy needs from renewable sources, with the ambition of reaching 100% in the next ten years. The project TripleSolar, inspired by advanced photonic research, has synthesized organic molecules capable of converting solar energy into hydrogen fuel with high efficiency.
Challenges and prospects
Despite the progress, photonics research in Africa remains a story of excellent “islands” in a sea of untapped potential. The continent still contributes less than 1% of global scientific publications in the field of optics and photonics.
The causes? Many: lack of research infrastructure, brain drain, limited access to funding. However, initiatives such as H3Africa (Human Heredity and Health in Africa) and the project AfricaConnect are building scientific collaboration networks that connect African researchers with each other and with international colleagues.
A bright future
The potential is immense. I’ve told you before: Photonics can help Africa bridge the digital divide with modern communications infrastructure, improve health through imaging and spectroscopy, harness the sun with optical materials for clean energy, and develop quantum technologies for advanced communications, sensing, and computing.
In a continent where according to demographic forecasts African cities will dominate global urban growth in the coming decades, technological solutions such as photonics will bring innovative solutions adapted to specific local needs, showing the world that the light of science can truly illuminate new and unexpected paths.
