Africa’s digital sovereignty debate is intensifying as the continent faces critical decisions about who governs its digital public infrastructure. Experts argue that, while private investment should be welcome, African governments must retain control over system design, data collection policies, and interconnection frameworks governing their digital infrastructure. Fulfilling the growing demand for data center capacity on the continent could require up to $20 billion in cumulative investment—a figure that has grown more urgent with the acceleration of artificial intelligence. Experts argue that this financing need not come from abroad, as the continent holds an estimated $4.4 trillion in domestic capital. With over $2 trillion of this sum managed by institutional investors, the challenge is how to channel the capital into long-term investments that will drive the continent forward.
Semafor
