Cross-border data flows in Africa: Continental ambitions and political realities
Authors
Melody Musoni, Poorva Karkare and Chloe Teevan argue that to realise the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area and to drive innovation and AI development, Africa must prioritise data usage and cross-border data sharing. However, national agendas are often prioritised, making the implementation of the continental vision challenging.
This page is also available in French and in Portuguese. This discussion paper is accompanied by an interactive tool on data policies in African countries.
Summary
Africa must prioritise data usage and cross-border data sharing to realise the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area and to drive innovation and AI development. Accessible and shareable data is essential for the growth and success of the digital economy, enabling innovations and economic opportunities, especially in a rapidly evolving landscape.
African countries, through the African Union (AU), have a common vision of sharing data across borders to boost economic growth. However, the adopted continental digital policies are often inconsistently applied at the national level, where some member states implement restrictive measures like data localisation that limit the free flow of data.
The paper looks at national policies that often prioritise domestic interests and how those conflict with continental goals. This is due to differences in political ideologies, socio-economic conditions, security concerns and economic priorities. This misalignment between national agendas and the broader AU strategy is shaped by each country’s unique context, as seen in the examples of Senegal, Nigeria and Mozambique, which face distinct challenges in implementing the continental vision.
The paper concludes with actionable recommendations for the AU, member states and the partnership with the European Union. It suggests that the AU enhances support for data-sharing initiatives and urges member states to focus on policy alignment, address data deficiencies, build data infrastructure and find new ways to use data. It also highlights how the EU can strengthen its support for Africa's data-sharing goals.