In this episode, host Jon Howell speaks with Selim Bouri, President, Middle East, Africa and Turkiye, SITA, and Daniel Muchuchuti, ICT Director, Airports Company of Zimbabwe (ACZ).
The conversation explores the latest findings from SITA's IT Insights and Baggage reports and how Africa is performing and where there is room for improvement.
The conversation then moves to a case study around airport IT Investment, with the Airports Company of Zimbabwe, outlining how a collaborative approach to investment in technology upgrades aims to benefit the passenger and airline customer.
Chapters:
00:00 — Why airport IT investment matters for Africa
02:14 — Africa's uneven airport technology investment
04:53 — Passenger processing and border management priorities
07:50 — Why coordination matters more than technology
10:18 — Who must collaborate to modernize African borders
14:54 — The high cost of mishandled baggage
15:57 — How baggage tracking works across the industry
16:26 — Why one mishandled bag costs $260
17:23 — Africa's baggage challenge and connecting flights
18:19 — How automation can reduce baggage mishandling
20:25 — Zimbabwe's airport technology transformation
22:40 — Building a standardized, common-use airport platform
25:59 — Convincing airlines to share the investment
30:08 — The case for integrated, future-proof technology
31:34 — Shared payment and shared responsibility
35:32 — A new investment model for growing African airports
38:32 — Advice for airport technology leaders
40:30 — Why long-term IT investment will shape future growth
Resources: SITA's baggage insights: https://www.sita.aero/resources/surveys-reports/sita-baggage-it-insights/
SITA's 2025 Air Transport IT Insights report: https://www.sita.aero/resources/surveys-reports/air-transport-it-insights-2025/airports/
