November, 2025
Our policy brief, authored by Ben Crumpton, Melis Baydag, Niels Keijzer, Camilla Rocca, and Benedikt Erforth, delves into the multifaceted landscape of Africa’s digital transformation. Titled “Digital Transformation in Africa: From Gaps to Goals,” the brief offers a comprehensive analysis of the digital divide across the continent. It provides both a global perspective and a comparative examination of its various dimensions across and within African states. The main objective is to give an overview of the overall situation and trends in terms of moving African digital access from gaps to goals.
The analysis primarily draws from three recent reports: the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU, 2024) Measuring Digital Development: Facts and Figures, the GSMA’s (2024) State of Mobile Internet Connectivity, and data from the Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG, 2024). In addition to a review of literature and quantitative data, the analysis incorporates insights from discussions held during a side event organized by IDOS, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, and the European Think Tanks Group at the Ibrahim Governance Weekend on June 3, 2025, in Marrakesh.
Bridging the digital divide is identified as a core development issue and a key priority of the African Union’s Agenda 2063. The brief highlights that while progress on digital indicators has driven governance improvements, significant hurdles remain, particularly in infrastructure and electricity access. The authors emphasize that increasing electricity access is a foundational enabler for digital access and use, with approximately 600 million people in Africa still lacking access to electricity. Furthermore, the brief underscores the importance of addressing subnational inequalities, as factors like gender, income, and location significantly influence citizens’ ability to access and use digital technologies.
The policy brief concludes with seven key recommendations for moving Africa’s digital access from gaps to goals. These recommendations, which target African states as well as international partners like the European Union, emphasise the need for integrated infrastructure and energy investment, improved data disaggregation, dual-track policies to expand coverage and usage, and reinforced regional coordination. The authors also call for leveraging partnerships with external actors based on shared ownership and respect for African digital sovereignty, ensuring inclusive and ethical AI development, and creating enabling environments for local innovation and private sector growth.
