29 July 2025 the year at the ESRI users conference in San Diego, California, ESRI companies, Microsoft and Space42 signed a memorandum of understanding, by launching the Map Africa initiative – a five-year project to create the most detailed and scalable geospatial base map of Africa. The initiative will cover everyone 54 African countries and will provide high -precision cartographic data to support over 1,4 A billion people.
Problem and purpose
Many African countries have outdated, fragmented or hard-to-reach maps, which complicates infrastructure planning, economic development and disaster response. Map Africa aims to eliminate these problems by creating accurate, relevant and locally managed geospatial resources. The data will contribute to making informed decisions in the field of transport, renewable energy, national security, responding to natural disasters and developing smart cities.
Roles of partners
- Space42: Will lead the fundraising, project management and delivery of satellite data through proprietary and commercial sources. Space42 will use AI-powered models of digital doppelgangers to create dynamic ones, specialized maps and will develop new AI models for automating cartographic processes.
- Esri: Will be responsible for creating base maps using GeoAI and remote sensing technologies. Esri will also support regional centers in the North, Eastern, West and South Africa to train local specialists and develop long-term capabilities.
- Microsoft: Will provide Azure platform for big data processing and AI integration, providing cloud infrastructure for project scaling.
Stages of implementation
- The first year (2025–2026): Creation of regional data processing centers and development of initial base maps.
- Second-third years (2026–2028): Deployment of maps in African countries, improving technologies and clarifying data.
- To 2030 year: All African countries will have access to comprehensive national base maps, which will be supported by local mapping agencies.
The long-term goal is to create a pan-African spatial data infrastructure (SDI) to support cross-border trade, cooperation in resource management, adaptation to climate change and infrastructure development.
Economic and social impact
The project will contribute to economic growth, providing governments and businesses with accurate data for planning. Example, in 2024 African countries lost 3-5% of their GDP due to natural disasters, in part due to the lack of data for forecasting. Map Africa will help improve disaster response, to optimize agriculture, manage natural resources and create digital economies. Data will be licensed by national mapping agencies, and Microsoft and G42 regional data centers will stimulate the development of local technology startups.
UAE, who invested 44 billions of dollars to Africa in 2024 year, will strengthen its role as the continent's largest foreign investor. Space42, as the UAE National Space Champion, expand its influence, opening up new markets for analytics and infrastructure solutions.
Context and meaning
Map Africa builds on previous Esri initiatives, such as Africa GeoPortal (2019), which provides free access to GIS technologies and has over 10 000 active users. The project also supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals, in particular regarding infrastructure (SDG 9) and climate action (SDG 13). For Space42, the initiative deepens its partnership with Microsoft and Esri and opens commercial opportunities in Africa, where the demand for geospatial data is growing by 15-20% annually.
Source: https://www.spacedaily.com