Our monthly series of quotes on African technology and progress continues with a variety of insights from entrepreneurs, political leaders, business executives, and everyday citizens. Most speakers are African and all are actively involved in creating a digital Africa.

We believe that ICT provides a golden opportunity for Botswana to generate income, combat hunger, ill health and most important enhance literacy.” – Mascom Wireless CEO Jose Veira Couceirio

Female college students who range in age from 16 years to 29 years constitute the majority of those who patronize this Internet café.” – Admire Muringa, 27, manager at CSU Technologies, an Internet café based in the Bulawayo central business district of Zimbabwe, on the popularity of Facebook

There’s a lot of rhetoric, but not action.” – Nnamdi Nwokike, executive secretary of the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly, on how many governments, operators, and investors are currently tackling ICT infrastructure

With this project, all the towns and major villages in The Gambia will soon have a direct fibre connection as part of efforts to modernise the national backbone. There will be multiple fibre rings across the country to ensure nearly 100% reliability, security and quality service availability to our esteemed customers.” – Mam Dawda Gai, director of Multimedia Services at Gamtel, on the promise of a new fibre transmission project

…if we do not take advantage of the knowledge and technology gap, a time will come when only foreigners will do that for us.” – Kofi Kludgeson, Alltell Limited CEO (creator of the K-Pad), on the need for African innovation

I would love to go [home] with the Kindle during the holidays.” – Eperence Uwera, a 13-year-old Rwandan refugee at the Humble School in Uganda

A wider adoption of the .ng domain name will help improve Nigeria’s image on the Internet, build local content, ensure content security, create jobs, and most importantly, arrest capital flight to international Internet Service Providers.” – Chief Operating Officer of NIRA, Ope Odusan, on developing e-commerce in Nigeria

Our projection is that teledensity will rise to 50 percent by 2014 and Internet penetration to 10 percent.” – Sierra Leone National Telecommunication Commission (NATCOM) chairman Siray Timbo

…We must remain aware that the biggest commodity in the world today is knowledge, and the ability to generate, access, and distribute knowledge have become key determinants for a higher developmental trajectory for any nation.” – South African Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, addressing the ICT Indaba conference in Cape Town

Africa carries on its shoulders a historical burden next to none in the use and provision of technology. We therefore have to rise to the occasion and weigh-in our salt’s worth by becoming a strong player in the world ICT’s market.” – South African Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, addressing the ICT Indaba conference in Cape Town

A lot of Zimbabweans see the internet as a product, not a platform. They think they are just an audience, but they need to see how much they can do and put on the web.” – Limbikani Makani, founder and managing editor of TechZim

An integral aspect of growing ICT’s means striking a balance between investments in innovative technology and improving the lives of ordinary citizens.” – Minister of Communications for Botswana, Nonofo Molefi

There is no need for them to dig the ground but share and develop the infrastructure that is available.” – Hilda Mutseyekwa, Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz), on the sharing of fibre trenches by ISPs

We are sitting on a gold mine. This is a big advantage for us. We have more than enough infrastructure but we haven’t even used 10% of it.” – Jean Niyotwagira, CEO of Rwandan software development company TorQue Ltd.

Mobile phones in the health space feels like the Internet and e-commerce in 1994 and 1995.” – Paul Ellingstad, HP’s director of global heath

Today, I’m proud to tell you that we are changing Liberia with technology.” – Liberian Vice President Joseph Boakai, during the launch of 4G in Monrovia

By 2015, every service provider will give up the second generation to switch entirely to 3G, which will become the basic standard.” – Congo-Brazzaville Minister of Post, Telecommunications and Technologies, Thierry Moungalla

The WACS will be a great benefit for Botswana and also brings both our countries closer.” – Botswana President Ian Khama, on working with Namibia to share broadband costs

While we understand there is unlawful content on the Internet, censorship is not always the best or only solution to keep our users safe.” – Internet Society Tunisia Chairman Khaled Koubaa

It is like I have been trapped in a dungeon for years, and suddenly I am thrust into the middle of an endless crowd.” – Pertinacious Bowden, a Zimbabwean college student, on how Facebook has changed her lifestyle

Twenty of the 54 African countries are already connected to fiber-optic cables but they are still charging monopoly rates, which make the objective of spreading broadband access to rural areas unachievable.” – Adel Taher, the head of MDIC, the management company that recently took over the operations of Sierratel

Broadband is essential to fulfilling what has become a reality – that ICTs are fundamental to all three pillars of sustainable development [economic, social and environmental].” – Gary Fowlie, head of ITU’s Liaison Office, during the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20)

Note: All quotations include a link to the source that originally cited the speaker.