Policy position paper towards a digital economy policy framework for Africa: policy paper

Abstract

The definition of the digital economy for Africa is the subject of continuing debate, and there is a desire to have indicators that will ensure the alignment and comparability of the definition with that of other regions. With such indicators, it will be possible to collect data and then to compare the progress within Africa, its subregions, and its countries, which will provide clarity on which intervention measures are needed. In the present paper, a definition of the digital economy has been adopted that is broken down into three tiers: core (digital sector and associated technologies), narrow scope (digital services and the platform-based economy) and broad scope (all digitalized sectors), as inspired by the work of Bukht and Heeks (2017) and adopted by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in its reports on the digital economy (UNCTAD, 2019). In addition to digital infrastructure, the data flows across the region that would facilitate the development of the digital economy are nascent. Important elements to be addressed include the security of the data, the framework for their protection and the digital identities of users. The African Union has endorsed policy frameworks, but they have yet to be implemented. In 2014, African Governments acceded to the African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo Convention), but it still has not come into force, denying Africa the opportunity to benefit from a framework for the secure cross-border data flows that are critical for trade.