At the recently concluded 14th Connected Africa Summit (CAS) in Kenya, African nations committed to establishing a single digital market to accelerate regional integration, streamline legislation, and promote cross-border digital services.
This initiative is a central component of the African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy (2020-2030), reflecting the continent’s ambition to build a cohesive digital economy.
Leaders from governments, industry stakeholders, and representatives of AU member states came together to endorse the declaration titled ‘Africa’s Digital Future: From Vision to Action.’ The declaration, adopted by ministers, heads of delegations, and key industry figures, underscores the importance of harmonizing policies and fostering collaboration across borders to unlock Africa’s digital potential.
Among the key focus areas are the promotion of local production of smart devices, semiconductors, and green electronics. The declaration also emphasizes the rapid deployment of technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, as well as ensuring data and cloud sovereignty — important steps toward fostering innovation and self-reliance.
In terms of digital infrastructure, the summit highlighted accelerating the rollout of 5G networks, developing cross-border fibre optic highways, and mobilizing universal service funds to extend last-mile connectivity into underserved communities. Participants also pledged to align their national laws on critical issues such as cybersecurity, telecommunications tariffs, data governance, and digital trade to facilitate seamless regional cooperation.
“CAS 2025 provided a platform to address the challenges hindering Africa’s digital transformation and to explore the vast opportunities ahead. We have renewed our commitment to forge stronger partnerships and enhance cross-border data sharing, among other areas of collaboration,” said Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications, and Digital Economy, William Kabogo Gitau, who presided over the summit.
The summit’s outcomes signal Africa’s collective determination to harness digital technologies for economic growth, innovation, and inclusive development across the continent.
