Africa Digital Summit 2023

Scripture Engagement in a Digital Age

The yearly summit is organised by the AfDS Committee, which has members from Faith Comes by Hearing, SIL, Biblica, and Bible Societies. The digital event took place on Zoom from 17-20 January 2023 for half a day each, presenting a wide range of organizations concerning the speakers and the participants. There were over 445 registered participants from 45 different countries.

The spirit of collaboration was very special at this summit: Different organisations sharing their best practice on digital Bible engagement. There were, for example, sessions on "Digital Strategies", "Online Scripture Engagement", using Messenger Services as well as "App promoting and performance tracking".

I had the honour to present BibleBooster with its collaborative approach. As the summit was held in English and French, there were translators to serve both language groups. It was the first time that BibleBooster was also presented to French-speaking countries. With AfDS's support, we could also create the first French version of our presentation.

My learnings

During the summit, I learned some special requirements and work environments that organisations in Africa experience. For example, I was made aware of feature phones that are between the range of a smartphone and a device that you can only do calls and SMS. As there were discussion groups in breakout rooms after the presentation, it was also a great way of getting in touch with colleagues and like-minded people easily.

Attend next year's summit! That will be my clear recommendation if you are located in Africa. Or you might consider starting something comparable in your country?