The future of HE in Africa depends on high-speed internet The World Bank has urged African governments and universities to plan and set benchmarks for broadband internet connectivity to benefit from the global explosion of digital data and content for online teaching and research. This will allow scholars on the continent and their counterparts in the diaspora to establish and maintain vibrant international academic partnerships. According to Dr Sajitha Bashir, the World Bank’s education sector manager for Eastern and Southern Africa, most African universities lack affordable and high-speed broadband internet, a significant hurdle for the use of technology in education and research.