November, 2025
Our policy brief, authored by Marianna Lunardini and Darlington Tshuma, delves into the EU-Africa digital partnership through the lens of two key European policy instruments: the EU’s Global Gateway and Italy’s Mattei Plan. Titled “Global Gateway and Mattei Plan: advancing EU–Africa digital cooperation for inclusive growth,” the brief examines how these complementary strategies can be better aligned to create a coherent Team Europe framework for sustained digital cooperation with Africa.
The analysis is based on a mixed-methods approach, combining extensive desk research with insights from two high-level events: a roundtable in Rome organized by the Istituto Affari Internazionali and a side event at the 2025 Ibrahim Governance Weekend in Marrakesh. These discussions brought together experts and institutional stakeholders from Europe and Africa, providing nuanced perspectives on the challenges and opportunities within the partnership.
The brief highlights that while the EU’s Global Gateway prioritises hard digital infrastructure, it has invested less in strengthening governance and fostering local digital innovation. The authors argue that for sustained impact, both the Global Gateway and the Mattei Plan must align with African-led frameworks to complement national and sub-regional development priorities. The paper concludes with several recommendations, including deepening collaboration among EU partners, setting up Joint Monitoring Committees to ensure strategic alignment, streamlining investments with African policy frameworks, and supporting the widespread adoption of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in Africa.
Picture extracted from European Commission Audiovisual Service
