Journals

  • Delivering Responsible and Beneficial Data Governance in Africa

    Africa's digital transformation is rapidly advancing, creating an urgent need for effective data governance frameworks that balance economic competitiveness, innovation, inclusion, and trust. This book provides a continental perspective on emerging data governance trends, including legal reforms, regional coordination, and the impact of AI and digital platforms on institutions, markets, and society. It highlights the benefits of coordinated governance, such as supporting AfCFTA regional trade, promoting innovation, enhancing digital inclusion, and improving public services, with particular attention to small businesses and marginalized groups. The book also addresses implementation challenges, uneven enforcement, cybersecurity risks, ethical concerns, and limited institutional capacity and offers practical, measurement-based strategies to help African countries manage risks and unlock the value of data. Targeted at researchers, policymakers, economists, regulators, and practitioners, it serves as an accessible, forward-looking guide for shaping data governance to support Africa's digital future.

  • BOOK: Delivering Responsible and Beneficial Data Governance in Africa: Trends, Benefits, and Actionable Strategies

    Africa's digital transformation is accelerating, driven by improved connectivity, expanding digital markets, and the rapid adoption of data-driven technologies. As data becomes one of the continent's most valuable resources, the choices made about its governance will determine whether digital transformation fosters inclusive growth, innovation, and trust, or exacerbates division, inequality, and risk.

    This book, under contract with CRC Press (Taylor & Francis Group), codifies over five years of research by the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA) and its partners. It moves beyond a risk-centric view to highlight the immense benefits of regional coordination and shared data governance goals. The volume emphasizes Africa's collective realities over isolated national cases, making it essential reading for stakeholders working towards continental progress under frameworks like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

    The book is structured around three main themes:

     

    1. Trends: Examining legal reforms, technological advancements, and regional coordination efforts shaping Africa's digital landscape.

    2. Benefits / Opportunities: Highlighting how effective governance can drive economic integration, digital trade, innovation, and social inclusion.

    3. Actionable Strategies: Offering practical, actionable pathways for implementation, addressing challenges like cybersecurity, ethics, and institutional capacity in varied African contexts.

    This book aims to inform policymakers, regulators, researchers, and practitioners about the opportunities and threats of digital development. It stands out by offering a multidisciplinary, practical, and grounded approach that combines technical and policy analysis. While much of the existing literature is theoretical or focused on single countries, this volume provides a pan-African perspective, demonstrating how institutions enforce regulations, how data systems operate, and how success can be measured.

    We invite chapter proposals that align with the book's core mission: to provide a forward-looking guide for shaping data governance as a foundation for Africa's digital transformation.