The issue of data sovereignty is a big one for African organisations, with regulations often preventing them from taking advantage of out-of-country cloud computing services.
At the heart of the issue is the value of data, and its governance.
“Data isn’t just useful; it’s essential,” says Professor Eldrid Jordaan, CEO at Suppple. “Nowhere is this more true than in Africa, where governments face the monumental task of delivering services efficiently and equitably.”
Governance, like healthcare, should be guided by accurate, timely information, Prof Jordaan says. Governments’ ability to deliver public goods and services is an exercise in resource allocation and logistical precision.
However, in many cases, public services suffer from a lack of accurate data, outdated systems, and slow planning processes, leading to delays and inefficiencies that could have otherwise been avoided.
“Thankfully, with advances in technology, our ability to make informed decisions is rapidly improving, and this is beginning to extend into public service delivery at all levels of governance,” Prof Jordaan explains. “Governments can now harness big data to monitor real-time needs and allocate resources accordingly.
“South Africa’s recent publication of the National Data and Cloud Policy is a strong example of this shift, signalling the government’s intent to embrace up-to-date, data-informed decision-making across various sectors.”
He adds that this move towards digitisation has the potential to transform how African governments deliver services. “But it also raises significant questions about who controls this critical data. Should foreign companies dominate the digital infrastructure of African nations, essentially holding veto power over the continent’s data?
“This question speaks to the growing need for data sovereignty – the control of data by African governments, ensuring that data remains in African hands. At the very least, this will help quelm very real fears of abuse by external players.”
Beyond fears of overreach concerning private data, there is a case to be made for localising data storage within countries’ borders; in the hands of local governments, Prof Jordaan adds.
By partnering or collaborating with local experts, African governments can gain control of decentralised servers and cloud storage options to place African data under the control of trusted parties with no vested interest in the data beyond the fee that is paid for this service.
“We must cultivate a vested interest in ensuring the safety and security of our data, and who it is entrusted with,” he says. “Why? Because they are just as much the beneficiaries of the use of such data as they are vendors. A strategy that seeks to ensure our capacity to benefit from our own data capital locally is worth investigating without delay.”