"The mood of optimism among Africans is unmistakable," says the Report. "Our survey... confirms that African eLearning professionals are feeling confident about the future. This is more good news for the Continent because the combination of education and technology is clearly a powerful driver for growth."

The report repeats the late Nelson Mandela's view that "education is the key to everything". It emphasises, however, that the prospects for African education will depend increasingly on good communications and connectivity: "If education is the key to everything, the key to the education of the future is infrastructure".

It is a view shared by Brahima Sanou, Director of the Development Department of the International Telecommunications Union, in an exclusive interview with the Report. The development of high-speed international connectivity and broadband ICT is "an essential part of the long-term development strategy" for Africa. The opportunities for education are enormous, he believes, as the "advent of low-cost mobile tablets' massive market rollout stands to revolutionise education because of the pedagogical implications of being able to deliver more content on a larger screen".

The Report, which also includes analysis of the agriculture, health, and tourism sectors; a guide to eLearning initiatives in 55 African countries; a survey of sources of funding; and articles by leading commentators including Binyavanga Wainaina, Paul Boateng, Bitange Ndemo and Aida Opoku-Mensah, was launched at the eLearning Africa conference at the Speke Conference Centre in Kampala.