Africa is a strategic techno-geopolitical theatre. Will the continent’s leaders take advantage of this?

The document examines Africa's position as a 'techno-geopolitical theatre' where major powers—including China, the US, and the EU—are competing to establish technological spheres of influence through infrastructure investments and policy frameworks. It warns that while these investments can drive digital transformation, they risk reducing Africa to a pawn in geopolitical struggles. The author highlights the danger of relying on non-neutral service providers and cautions African governments against using digital regulations for citizen surveillance and repression, urging instead a focus on securing digital interests and fostering innovation for a young population.

• Africa is a primary frontier for the geopolitics of digital technology due to its vast market of over 1 billion people and a young population, despite currently being the least connected region to the internet.
• Major geopolitical blocs are competing for influence in Africa's digital space through specific initiatives: China's "Digital Silk Road" (part of the Belt and Road Initiative), the United States’ "Build Back Better World Initiative", and the European Union’s "Global Gateway".
• Private sector giants are investing heavily in African internet infrastructure, with Google's Equiano project spanning over 12,000km across West Africa and the Facebook-backed 2Africa cable landing in 15 African countries.
• The war in Ukraine has demonstrated that digital service providers are not neutral and can make unilateral decisions that restrict information flows, posing a risk to African countries that lack sovereignty over their internet infrastructure.
• Current digital policy trends in many African countries are counterproductive, focusing on "analog policy posturing" such as e-levies and cybersecurity laws used to target citizens or "insulting" presidents rather than enabling digital freedoms and economic growth.

APA

Sambuli, N. (2022). Africa is a strategic techno-geopolitical theatre. Will the continent’s leaders take advantage of this? Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/africa-is-a-strategic-techno-geopolitical-theatre-will-the-continents-leaders-take-advantage-of-this

Chicago

Sambuli, Nanjira. Africa is a strategic techno-geopolitical theatre. Will the continent’s leaders take advantage of this? Africa Policy Research Institute, 2022. https://afripoli.org/africa-is-a-strategic-techno-geopolitical-theatre-will-the-continents-leaders-take-advantage-of-this.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sambuli |first1=Nanjira |title=Africa is a strategic techno-geopolitical theatre. Will the continent’s leaders take advantage of this? |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=9 June 2022 |url=https://afripoli.org/africa-is-a-strategic-techno-geopolitical-theatre-will-the-continents-leaders-take-advantage-of-this |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sambuli2022africa, author = {Sambuli, Nanjira}, title = {{Africa is a strategic techno-geopolitical theatre. Will the continent’s leaders take advantage of this?}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2022}, month = jun, url = {https://afripoli.org/africa-is-a-strategic-techno-geopolitical-theatre-will-the-continents-leaders-take-advantage-of-this}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }