U.S. Vice President wraps up visit to Africa, calls for strengthening democracy, closing digital gaps in continent

The U. S. vice president Kamala Harris ended on Saturday her weeklong Africa trip that led her to Ghana, Tanzania, and Zambia.

If the influence of other foreign powers loomed over her trip, she tried to deepen and reframe U.S. relationships with the continent, highlighting major steps in that direction.

“My visit has convinced me more than ever, that we must all around the globe appreciate and understand the importance of investing in African ingenuity and creativity. The type I have seen during the course of this trip,” she said on Saturday upon leaving Zambia.

“In my meetings with the presidents of Ghana and Tanzania, and here in Zambia, we have launched new initiatives to strengthen our business ties. We have also advanced our work to support democracy and good governance on the continent, which will invariably create greater stability, predictability, the type that businesses require and need to invest,” she added.

“In each of these engagements. It has been clear there was a strong desire from leaders on this continent, from young entrepreneurs on this continent to increase investments on this continent.”

If Harris acknowledged some places on the continent lead the world in digital solutions, she laid out an agenda for partnerships in digital solutions as she pointed to discrepancies across Africa. She stressed the need to take up the challenges to close these gaps and committed to take action because, she said “solutions are within sight and within reach.”

During her visit to Tanzania, Harris praised the country’s first female leader as a “champion” of democracy. Since coming to power in 2021, President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been rolling back the authoritarian policies of her late predecessor John Magufuli.

“Madame President, under your leadership Tanzania has taken important and meaningful steps and President Joe Biden and I applaud you,” said Harris who later also met with young Tanzanian entrepreneurs, creatives, and innovators at an event facilitated by the startup and talent incubator, SNDBX, in Dar es Salaam to discuss ways to enhance their products, secure investment, and partner with US companies.

Harris’ visit is the latest in a string of visits to Africa by high profile U.S officials.

The United States have ramped up efforts to reengage with African countries after last year’s US-Africa summit. President Joe Biden said he intends to visit this year as well.