Welcome to the Africa Technology Regulatory Tracker: the first continent-wide aggregate of digital economy laws, policies, and regulations in Africa developed by Carnegie’s Africa Program. Our digital economy framework is divided into four digital economy pillars. Select one below to begin exploring. (This project is still under construction and subject to changes)
Thanks for interacting with the Africa Tech Regulatory Tracker. Please note that this is an ongoing project. Our team periodically updates this dataset with new legal documents as they become available. For questions and comments, email the project’s contacts.
The African continent is undergoing a digital revolution, characterized by increased accessibility to digital products and services transforming people’s socioeconomic lives. In recognition of the potential of digital technologies to transform entire ecosystems, African governments have developed and implemented policies and frameworks to capture the benefits of digital transformation. Africa is rife with continent-wide and national policies and strategies defining and envisioning digital transformations and legal frameworks to define the set of rules for digital transactions and services. However, without a consolidated and comprehensive resource for the current technological policy and legislative frameworks across the continent. This research and the interactive tracker provide a one-stop shop for all digital economy policies, laws, and regulations developed by African countries. The objectives of the research are:
The Africa Tech Regulation Tracker (ATRT) is an interactive digital platform that provides insight into the regulatory actions of governments across the continent based on four digital economy pillars: Digital Infrastructure, Digital Platforms, Digital Skills, and Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Our approach to developing the Africa Tech Regulation Tracker can be summarized in four main steps:
Table 1: Pilot Countries | |
1 | Egypt |
2 | Kenya |
3 | Mauritius |
4 | Nigeria |
5 | South Africa |
6 | Rwanda |
7 | Senegal |
8 | Uganda |
Table 2: Definitions | |||
Digital Infrastructure | The availability of affordable and quality internet is instrumental to bringing more people online. | ||
Digital physical infrastructure | physical structures powered by technology that increase access and connectivity to the digital economy | ||
Invisible infrastructure | systems that strengthen public confidence in the digital economy | ||
Digital Platforms | Software-based infrastructure that facilitates online exchanges, transactions, and access to public and private services. | ||
Digital government | the use of data and technology to optimize and transform digital government services | ||
Digital business | businesses that leverage digital technology as a fundamental part of their business model and operations | ||
Digital financial services | the ability to pay, save, borrow, and invest through digital means, which is key to accessing digital services and increasing the rate of online transactions | ||
Digital Skills | Competencies to access, use, manage, and create digital information and digital tools. | ||
Basic skills | the skills, digital competence, and confidence required to use information and communication technology (ICT) for work, leisure, learning, and communication | ||
Advanced skills | these are skills that empower a country’s citizens to contribute advanced digital skills to the domestic and international digital economy | ||
Innovation and Entrepreneurship | An ecosystem that supports firms to generate new products and services leveraging new technologies and business models, which help widen and deepen digital economic transformation. | ||
Technological hubs | a network of systems, environments, and stakeholders that foster technological innovation | ||
Digital entrepreneurship | access to channels that support the launch and scale-up of innovative digital businesses and innovations |
The next phase of the tracker will include the following:
Digital Economy Pillars
Digital Infrastructure is the availability of affordable and quality internet is instrumental to bringing more people online.
Physical: Physical structures powered by technology that increase access and connectivity to the digital economy.
Invisible: Systems that strengthen public confidence in the digital economy.
Category | Name | Digital Infrastructure | Digital Platforms | Digital Skills | Digital Innovation | Key Data Points |
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Thanks for interacting with the Africa Tech Regulatory Tracker. This project is ongoing and is in its pilot stage. The dataset is updated periodically with new legal documents as they become available and as the project expands to cover all African countries. For questions and comments, email us at africatechtracker@ceip.org.