Countries
Benin
Benin (formerly Dahomey) is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the northwest, and Niger to the northeast. Most of its population lives on the southern coastline of the Bight of Benin, part of the Gulf of Guinea in the northernmost tropical portion of the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is Porto-Novo, and the seat of government is in Cotonou, the most populous city and economic capital. It is a tropical nation, dependent on agriculture, and is an exporter of palm oil and cotton. Some employment and income arising from subsistence farming.
Somalia
Somalia is a country in the Horn of Africa. The country is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, and Kenya to the southwest. Somalia has the longest coastline on Africa’s mainland. Its terrain consists mainly of plateaus, plains, and highlands. Hot conditions prevail year-round, with periodic monsoon winds and irregular rainfall. Somalia has an estimated population of around 17.1 million, of which over 2 million live in the capital and largest city Mogadishu, and has been described as Africa’s most culturally homogeneous country.
South Africa
South Africa is a leader in the fintech sector in Africa. Innovations in mobile money, online banking, and financial services are prominent. According to a report published by Research and Markets, the country has been internationally recognised for having one of the most sophisticated financial sectors, generating approximately 40% of all fintech revenue in Africa. South Africa has invested significantly in improving its digital infrastructure. The rollout of fibre-optic cables and the expansion of 4G LTE networks across urban and semi-urban areas have been pivotal. The government, along with private companies, is pushing towards enhancing 5G technology, which promises to revolutionise various sectors through improved connectivity and speed.
Internet governance
Internet governance has increasingly become a focus in South Africa as the country grapples with the challenge of regulating the internet to accommodate the interests of diverse stakeholders. While not always a central concern for the general public, the South African government has demonstrated its commitment to this issue with the release of the National Integrated ICT Policy White Paper in 2016, which identifies internet governance as a key area of focus.
The key South African stakeholders, which included the Civil Societies, have played a pivotal role in the various governance forums at both Regional and Global levels. They participated actively in the South Africa Internet Governance Forum (SAIGF), the Southern Africa Internet Governance Forum, the Southern Africa Regional Youth School on Internet and the Africa Internet Governance Forum. South Africa is also a full member of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF).
ZA Domain Name Authority (ZADNA) is one of the key stakeholders involved in internet governance in South Africa. ZADNA is responsible for managing the .za country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) namespace and promoting the development of the .za domain name space. ZADNA’s mandate includes creating a South African multistakeholder platform for an inclusive dialogue on internet-related matters and policies and creating an inclusive information society
Digital strategies
South Africa is at the forefront of a digital transformation, characterized by the adoption and implementation of several strategic initiatives aimed at harnessing digital technologies to improve healthcare, education, government services, and overall national competitiveness. Here’s an overview of the key digital strategies shaping South Africa’s future:
Recognizing the transformative power of digital technologies in healthcare, South Africa has developed a National Digital Health Strategy. This strategy is designed to improve healthcare delivery across the nation by integrating advanced digital solutions into the healthcare system. Key components of this strategy include the development of digital health infrastructure, the use of data for health system improvement, and ensuring cybersecurity and privacy of health data. The strategy aims to facilitate better patient outcomes, improve medical records management, and enhance the efficiency of healthcare services through technology.
To address the evolving skills requirements in a digital economy, South Africa has laid out The National Digital and Future Skills Strategy for 2021-2025. This strategy emphasizes the need to equip the South African workforce with the necessary skills to thrive in the digital age. It focuses on broadening digital literacy, upskilling and reskilling initiatives, and fostering partnerships between educational institutions and the tech industry. This strategy is crucial for reducing unemployment, driving economic growth, and ensuring that all South Africans have the skills needed to participate fully in the digital world.
The South African National E-Government Strategy and Roadmap outlines the country’s plans to enhance government service delivery through digital transformation. This strategy seeks to make government services more accessible, transparent, and efficient by leveraging technologies such as cloud computing, mobile solutions, and online platforms. By doing so, it aims to foster greater civic engagement, streamline government operations, and facilitate easier access to public services for all citizens.
At the core of South Africa’s digital strategies lies the National Integrated ICT Policy White Paper. This comprehensive document sets the direction for the integration of various information and communication technologies into national development plans. It addresses issues such as broadband access, digital inclusion, spectrum management, and the regulatory framework necessary to support the growth of ICT in the country. The White Paper serves as a foundation for all other digital strategies, ensuring that technological advances contribute positively to South Africa’s socio-economic development.
Cybersecurity
In recent years, South Africa has significantly bolstered its cybersecurity infrastructure to tackle the rising challenges posed by digital threats. This commitment to strengthening cybersecurity has been evident through the implementation of several strategic legislative actions and the establishment of dedicated bodies to oversee and coordinate cybersecurity efforts. Here’s an in-depth look at these initiatives and their implications for the nation’s cyber resilience.
One of the cornerstone pieces of legislation in South Africa’s fight against cybercrime is The Cybercrimes Act 19. This act is comprehensive in its scope, covering the creation of offences related to cybercrime, criminalizing the disclosure of data messages that are harmful, and enhancing jurisdiction over cybercrimes. It also outlines investigative powers, mutual assistance, and the establishment of a designated Point of Contact, ensuring that there are clear protocols for responding to cyber incidents.
South Africa has implemented the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 (ECT Act), which addresses a variety of issues from e-commerce to specific cyber offences. The country has also drafted the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013, which, although partially implemented, represents a significant step towards aligning South Africa with international data protection standards.
On the international front, South Africa has shown a commitment to enhancing its cybersecurity framework by signing the AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo Convention) and the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention). However, it is noteworthy that these conventions have not yet been ratified, indicating a potential area for further development in the country’s international cyberlaw engagements.
At the heart of South Africa’s cybersecurity strategy is the National Cybersecurity Policy Framework (NCPF). This framework is extensive and covers the protection of critical information infrastructure, combating cybercrime, and establishing cybersecurity standards and protocols. It delineates the roles and responsibilities of different government bodies, the private sector, and civil society. This collaborative approach ensures that all stakeholders are engaged in the process of safeguarding the nation’s cyber assets.
To facilitate coordination and response to cyber threats, the South African government established the Cybersecurity Hub under the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services. This hub acts as a central platform for consolidating efforts related to cybersecurity across various sectors. It plays a pivotal role in sharing information on cyber threats and enhancing incident response capabilities, serving as a model for public-private partnerships in cybersecurity.
AI strategies and policies
South Africa has been taking steps towards developing a clear national AI strategy. The country has established the Artificial Intelligence Institute of South Africa and is working on introducing a tailored national strategy and appropriate regulations to ensure the ethical use of AI.
Recognising the key role of AI in this transformation, President Cyril Ramaphosa established the Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution (PC4IR). This commission’s mandate is to forge a cohesive national response to the challenges and opportunities presented by the 4IR. In its comprehensive report issued in January 2020, the PC4IR outlined a series of recommendations aimed at propelling South Africa to the forefront of this global movement. The recommendations include the establishment of an artificial intelligence (AI) Institute.
The Emerging Technologies in South Africa, a landscape analysis report of June 2022, identified 20 emerging technologies being promoted, developed, deployed or used in South Africa. Of these, the top four can be divided between new emerging technologies (artificial intelligence and next-generation health) and waning emerging technologies (mobile applications and e-commerce). These waning technologies are not disappearing but are becoming accepted and assimilated into processes and becoming a form of general-purpose technology. South African government has a robust track record of involvement and prioritisation of digital agendas in Africa.
To ensure that the nation builds on its capabilities in AI, South Africa hosts a series of significant initiatives and events. Notably, the Deep Learning Indaba conference plays a vital role in bolstering local expertise in AI and related fields. Further strengthening this push, the Centre for AI Research (CAIR) provides a collaborative platform for AI research. Additionally, the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR South Africa), an initiative under the Department of Science and Innovation and linked with the World Economic Forum’s network of 4IR centres, focuses on transitioning South Africa into a data-driven digital economy. This move aims to enhance the nation’s global competitiveness and mark its stance as a significant player in the digital age.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, and southeast of the Arabian Sea; it is separated from the Indian subcontinent by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. Sri Lanka shares a maritime border with India and the Maldives. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is its legislative capital, and Colombo is its largest city and financial centre.
Suriname
Suriname is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, and Brazil to the south. At just under 165,000 square kilometers (64,000 square miles), it is the smallest sovereign state in South America.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh is among the most densely populated countries in the world and shares land borders with India to the west, north, and east, and Myanmar to the southeast; to the south it has a coastline along the Bay of Bengal. It is narrowly separated from Bhutan and Nepal by the Siliguri Corridor and from China by the Indian state of Sikkim in the north. Dhaka, the capital and largest city, is the nation’s political, financial and cultural center. Chittagong, the second-largest city, is the busiest port on the Bay of Bengal. The official language is Bengali, one of the easternmost branches of the Indo-European language family.
Angola
Angola is a country located on the west coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Lusophone (Portuguese-speaking) country in both total area and population (behind Brazil in both cases), and is the seventh-largest country in Africa. It is bordered by Namibia to the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Zambia to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Angola has an exclave province, the province of Cabinda, that borders the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The capital and most populous city is Luanda.
Andorra
Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra, is a sovereign landlocked microstate on the Iberian Peninsula, in the eastern Pyrenees, bordered by France to the north and Spain to the south. Believed to have been created by Charlemagne, Andorra was ruled by the count of Urgell until 988, when it was transferred to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Urgell. The present principality was formed by a charter in 1278. It is headed by two co-princes: the bishop of Urgell in Catalonia, Spain and the president of France. Its capital and largest city is Andorra la Vella.
Morocco
Morocco is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and has land borders with Algeria to the east, and the disputed territory of Western Sahara to the south. Morocco also claims the Spanish exclaves of Ceuta, Melilla and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, and several small Spanish-controlled islands off its coast.