Assessing the Suitability of the African Union Data Policy Framework for Digital Trade in Africa (Full Paper)

The African Union (AU) Data Policy Framework (DPF), endorsed in February 2022, outlines a comprehensive set of principles and guidelines for data governance, data protection, data value creation, and data-driven innovation across the Continent.

The South African Customs Union (SACU), comprising South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, and Eswatini, is a well-established economic bloc with a long history of trade integration amongst its Member States.

However, SACU’s digital landscape is still evolving, with varying levels of endowments, capabilities, and enablers such as digital infrastructure, robust data governance policies, and regulatory frameworks amongst the SACU member states.

Given the importance of cross border data flows (CBDF) for digital trade and overall digital transformation, it is crucial to assess the suitability of the DPF for fostering digital trade within an established regional economic community (REC), such as SACU.

This paper evaluates the suitability of the DPF for facilitating the complex multidimensional aspects of digital trade amongst SACU member states. The aim of this paper is to provide a better understanding of the transnational changes shaping digital trade with a view to informing how these might be reflected in holistic policy design and implementation in the African context.

The research was funded by the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) as part of its multi-country research project, Catalysing Good Data Governance Policy and Practice in Africa, that seeks to advance progressive data governance policy and practice at continental and national level through research, stakeholder engagement and network building.