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.
Introduction
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:
- to provide a resource for accessing digital-economy-relevant policies, laws, and regulations in the African continent, and a tool to support comparative policy analysis and tracking of digital economy regulations;
- to enhance visibility on the burgeoning tech regulatory environment in Africa by tracking the policy, laws, and regulatory actions of African governments; and
- to support knowledge dissemination and learning among African policymakers and stakeholders.
The Africa Tech Regulation Tracker
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.
Methodology
Our approach to developing the Africa Tech Regulation Tracker can be summarized in four main steps:
- Develop the analytical framework by synthesizing global and regional digital economy frameworks.
- Develop inclusion criteria based on digital economy policies, strategies, laws, and regulations that have been enacted. The requirements are based on the dimensions of the policy and governance framework that define priority themes, as well as relevant timelines and content formats.
- Using the analytical framework and inclusion criteria, undertake desktop research; consideration is given to documents that offer English versions. Once documents (or information) are identified, they are reviewed to ensure they meet the inclusion criteria.
- Finally, materials are added to the database. This involves extracting metadata, classifying according to the analytical framework, and tagging with search data points and source links.
The Data
- Pillars: This study has developed an analytical framework defined by four pillars and nine sub-pillars.
- Pilot Countries:The tracker is designed with the intent to cover all countries in the African continent. The full rollout will happen over three years. The tracker starts with eight pilot countries that were chosen with the following criteria:
- Geographical representation
- A mix of digital development indicators (ICT use, contribution of ICT to GDP)
- The presence of national digital policies
Table 1: Pilot Countries 1 Egypt 2 Kenya 3 Mauritius 4 Nigeria 5 South Africa 6 Rwanda 7 Senegal 8 Uganda - Search and Data Points: A search can be undertaken with pillars, sub-pillars, and key data points. Each data point has been extracted from government websites.
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 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
- Digital Infrastructure: The availability of affordable and quality internet is instrumental to bringing more people online.
Next Phase of the Tracker
The next phase of the tracker will include the following:
- The addition of countries: Country representation will increase through 2023–24 with an ultimate plan to have all African countries in the tracker by 2024–25.
- Thematic analysis: The project will provide research and analytical works that provide insights to help accelerate Africa’s digital transformation. For countries to effectively leverage digital technologies to transform the public and private sectors, as well as improve the quality of life for their citizens, governments need to build a solid foundation that fosters innovation and fuels the digital economy. This foundation consists of an enabling legal and regulatory framework.
