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Speaking at the recent TechnoMag Tech Convergence Forum (TCF), Baker Tilly Managing Partner Cade Zvavanjanja said that Africa urgently needs to establish its own cybersecurity, data protection, and digital governance frameworks.
Presenting on “Cybersecurity, Data Protection, and the Legal Environment,” Zvavanjanja highlighted the challenges and opportunities Africa faces in navigating the rapidly evolving global digital economy.
Zvavanjanja underscored the disparity in digital access across regions, pointing out that countries like China and India have leveraged their vast populations to drive digital innovation and adoption. However, in nations like Zimbabwe, where digital access remains limited to an estimated 17 to 20 million people, the strategy must expand beyond national borders to build meaningful alliances within SADC, COMESA, and the African Union.
“It’s not just about Zimbabwe,” Zvavanjanja emphasized. “We have brothers and sisters across the region and the continent. As Africa, we must come together to establish our own standards—our equivalent of GDPR—and define our data sovereignty interests. Only then can we approach the global stage and say, ‘This is our position.’”
Drawing from his experience with the African Union’s IPSA program, Zvavanjanja pointed to past successes in creating model laws for e-commerce, data protection, and cybersecurity across Africa. He urged policymakers to build on this foundation, advocating for a united African approach to mobile money, an area he described as an “African problem” still governed by standards developed outside the continent.
“Mobile money highlights a crucial gap,” he said. “While the international ISO standards and best practice guidelines exist, none of them reflect the realities on the ground here in Africa. We are the ones dealing with the practical challenges of banking accessibility and digital inclusion. Yet, we allow developed nations to dictate what’s acceptable.”
Zvavanjanja argued that Africa’s lack of unified protocols, regulations, and standards undermines its potential as a billion-dollar market. He called for consensus-driven protocols that reflect the continent’s unique challenges and opportunities, ensuring Africa speaks with one voice in global negotiations.
“As a continent, we must define our standards, our tools, and our voice,” Zvavanjanja concluded. “If we fail to do so, we risk remaining a generation away from the bush while others dictate our digital future.”
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