As Africa’s digital economy surges ahead, digital sovereignty is becoming an urgent concern. With the rise of cloud computing, remote services, and data-driven innovation fuelled in part by initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the question of who controls Africa’s data and where it resides is no longer theoretical. It is now central to security, compliance, and national resilience, especially in the context of evolving data protection laws and internet governance frameworks.
“Digital sovereignty is not just about infrastructure; it’s about control. It’s about protecting Africa’s digital borders and asserting the right to govern our own data,” says Doros Hadjizenonos, emphasising the importance of internet freedom in the continent’s digital landscape.
Understanding digital sovereignty and data residency
Digital sovereignty refers to a country’s ability to control its data, infrastructure, and digital policies without foreign interference or digital surveillance. It works in tandem with data residency, which governs where data is physically stored and processed. Together, they influence whether African businesses operate under the safety of local legislation or under the uncertainty of foreign jurisdictions, particularly when it comes to cross-border data transfers.
Why data without borders poses risks
For highly regulated sectors like finance, healthcare, and government, the lack of digital sovereignty can introduce multiple risks:
- Regulatory conflicts: With national privacy laws such as South Africa’s POPIA, storing data abroad may bring foreign laws into play, creating compliance conflicts with local data protection laws.
- Foreign oversight: Data hosted in international jurisdictions may be vulnerable to foreign government access or surveillance, raising concerns about digital surveillance and data security.
- Loss of trust: When customer and citizen data is stored outside national borders, public confidence may erode, slowing digital adoption and innovation and potentially widening the digital divide.
“The ability to reassure citizens and clients that their data remains protected by local law is no longer optional. It’s foundational to digital trust and crucial for data governance,” Hadjizenonos notes.
Digital sovereignty in Africa’s key sectors
The implications are especially critical for sectors at the heart of Africa’s digital development:
- Financial institutions must meet central bank mandates for local data storage and adhere to strict data residency requirements.
- Healthcare providers manage highly sensitive patient records, demanding strict residency policies and robust cybersecurity measures.
- Governments face national security concerns when data crosses borders, necessitating comprehensive data sovereignty laws.
Without digital sovereignty, these sectors risk operating in legal grey areas that compromise their growth and resilience, potentially hindering digital transformation projects.
Enabling sovereignty through strategic security
Achieving true digital sovereignty requires more than locating data within national borders. It calls for an integrated, strategic security architecture that prioritises:
- Control over data processing and storage
- Clear jurisdictional compliance with data privacy regulations
- Secure access for distributed teams
“Local infrastructure is just the beginning. What African organisations need is a security framework that ensures sovereignty, consistency, and trust regardless of where users are connecting from,” says Hadjizenonos, highlighting the need for robust cybersecurity measures.
Charting a sovereign digital future
As digital transformation accelerates, Africa’s ability to define and defend its digital borders will shape its competitive edge in the global economy. Sovereignty is not about isolation; it’s about empowerment and protecting against cyber threats.
As Africa continues its digital transformation journey, the continent must balance the need for internet freedom with the imperative of data protection and sovereignty. This delicate equilibrium will be key to fostering innovation, ensuring security, and promoting equitable digital inclusion across the continent.
