Mauritius Digital Connect, a groundbreaking event set to advance the island nation’s digital transformation, was held on August 9, 2024, at the prestigious Hennessy Park Hotel in Ebene. The event, designed to catalyse progress within the digital sector, offered an invaluable platform for dynamic discussions, compelling presentations, and extensive networking opportunities for industry professionals, digital enthusiasts, policymakers, and media representatives.
The central theme of Mauritius Digital Connect was “The Reality of the Mauritian Digital Economy: Constraints and Opportunities,” focusing on the pivotal role that local digital solutions can play in fostering a robust and sustainable local circular economy. The event featured an impressive lineup of thought leaders and industry experts, including:
- Sebastien Le Blanc, Chief Growth Officer of MIPS & MTKL
- Noor Sheriff, Founder of Lean Search
- Loïc Forget, Business Development Manager at La Sentinelle Group
- Ranjana Hoolash-Foogooa, Founder and CEO of Sphere Media Technologies Ltd.
- Julien Gonnin, Founder of Digitalgo
A key highlight of the event was the much-anticipated launch of Digitalgo 1.0, an innovative digital solution poised to become the first Mauritian Programmatic Advertising Network. Julien Gonnin, the founder of Digitalgo, shared his excitement about the launch: “Digitalgo is fundamentally about localising the programmatic advertising model to better suit Mauritian stakeholders. Our focus is on providing high-quality advertising solutions to local advertisers. The essence of our technology is to leverage advertising in a way that generates better revenues for equal performance compared to existing tools. We have meticulously designed our technology to meet local needs, and with active publishers already on our platform, we anticipate that our model will attract significant advertising investment and generate substantial revenue for publishers.” During his presentation, Gonnin emphasised several critical insights:
- Banner advertising represents 35% of all digital advertising expenditures.
- The projected digital advertising spending in 2024 is Rs 2.2 billion.
- Rs 680 million was allocated to banner advertising in 2024.
- A substantial portion of these investments currently flows to international players.
Gonnin also noted that, while there is a high demand for digital services in Mauritius, local platforms often struggle to maximize revenue with existing solutions. Mauritians visit an average of five websites daily but access local Mauritian websites only infrequently.
“Programmatic advertising platforms operate with two key components,” Gonnin explained. “The Advertiser’s side (DSP) enables businesses to create and manage digital ad campaigns in real-time, while the SSP side (for Publishers) generates revenue based on ad impressions. Due to our small market size, local digital businesses have struggled to benefit from international solutions. Digitalgo aims to address this by tailoring the programmatic model to fit local market specifics, creating a more supportive environment for local players.”
Digitalgo’s platform, which adheres to international standards and is customised for the Mauritian market, provides several benefits:
- Advertisers: A robust toolset for creating and managing targeted advertising campaigns aimed at Mauritian audiences. Advertisers can control their budgets, optimize performance through real-time bidding, access detailed statistics, and set specific audience filters, ensuring they pay only for tangible results.
- Publishers: A comprehensive Publisher Network that allows for effective monetization of websites and content through relevant advertising. The Plug&Play solution streamlines operations, allowing publishers to focus on their core activities while reducing operational costs.
- Partners: An inclusive Partner Program enabling marketing professionals to manage their clients’ local ad campaigns from a single platform while earning commissions and additional incentives based on their performance.
Creating a circular economy for digital advertising that benefits Mauritius
Commenting on the recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MIPS, Gonnin stated, “MIPS is a shining example of a successful Mauritian digital business, with impressive growth and an offering that aligns well with local needs. Our collaboration extends beyond using Digitalgo solutions for advertising campaigns; we will also integrate MIPS’ online payment gateway into our platform in the coming months. We are exploring additional collaborative opportunities that could be revealed soon.”
Noor Sheriff commended the launch of Digitalgo, saying, “Digitalgo fills a significant gap in the Mauritian digital advertising ecosystem. This platform will enable local players to create a circular economy for advertising spends and gain valuable analytics and data from both publishers and advertisers. As a partner, we look forward to leveraging Digitalgo’s platform to offer our clients targeted advertising solutions and explore opportunities for other DSP providers to contribute to local revenue generation.”
Sebastien Le Blanc praised Digitalgo’s innovative approach, stating, “Digitalgo epitomises Contextual Innovation by repurposing existing elements to create something uniquely beneficial for Mauritians. This solution ensures that advertising revenue remains within Mauritius, benefiting local businesses and the broader economy. The event’s key takeaway is the introduction of a Mauritian-centric advertising solution, which keeps financial resources within the local economy and promotes Mauritian businesses.”
Ranjana Hoolash-Foogooa expressed her optimism about the solution’s potential impact, noting, “Digitalgo’s platform aligns perfectly with the needs of our local advertisers, publishers, and partners. It offers a data-driven, automated solution with real-time bidding capabilities, allowing for more intelligent and effective marketing. I am excited to explore further opportunities with Digitalgo and see the solution in action.”
Loïc Forget highlighted the significance of local solutions, stating, “Today marks a milestone in the consolidation of programmatic advertising within Mauritius. As a publisher, I am excited about the prospect of providing better tools for local targeting and enhancing our digital revenue streams.”
Mauritius Digital Connect offered a visionary look into the future of the Mauritian digital landscape, highlighting the transformative potential of local digital solutions to drive economic growth, reshape industries, and propel the nation toward a digitally empowered future.
