Digital sovereignty on the agenda at Africa Cybersecurity Indaba

Africa’s digital economy is expanding rapidly. Governments are digitising public services, businesses are accelerating digital transformation and millions more citizens are participating in the online economy. This creates enormous opportunities, but it also increases exposure to cybercrime, ransomware, digital fraud, data breaches and attacks on critical infrastructure.

The challenge is no longer whether Africa should prioritise cybersecurity, but how African countries coordinate their response.

Cybersecurity cannot happen in silos. Digital infrastructure, financial systems, telecommunications, aviation, government platforms and cross-border digital services are all interconnected. Africa therefore needs stronger collaboration between governments, industry, academia, law enforcement, regulators and civil society.

Against this backdrop, the Africa Cybersecurity Indaba 2026, hosted in partnership with the department of communications & digital technologies (DCDT), will convene decision-makers and cybersecurity experts under the theme “Securing Africa’s Digital Future: Innovation, Trust & Resilience”.

The DCDT is committed to advancing a secure, resilient and inclusive digital ecosystem across the continent. As cyberthreats continue to grow in scale, the indaba will foster collective action and strengthen coordinated responses to emerging digital security threats. It will also showcase technologies, policy frameworks and practices that enhance cybersecurity, promote digital trust and support Africa’s digital transformation agenda.

A central discussion will examine cybersecurity policies, national strategies and regulatory frameworks across African Union member states.

African countries are at different stages of implementing cybersecurity strategies, cybercrime legislation, data protection frameworks and national incident-response capabilities. The indaba will explore how these national efforts can contribute to greater continental coordination, including cooperation around African and international conventions, treaties and frameworks dealing with cybersecurity, cybercrime, data protection and digital cooperation.

The question is an important one: how does Africa turn different national cybersecurity strategies into collective cyber resilience?

One of the most important conversations will be about digital sovereignty.

Africa’s digital economy depends increasingly on technologies, cloud infrastructure, platforms, cybersecurity products, artificial intelligence systems and data infrastructure developed or controlled outside the continent.

That raises difficult questions the continent cannot afford to avoid. Where is African data stored? Who controls the infrastructure on which governments and economies increasingly depend? Who develops the technologies that protect critical systems? And how does Africa reduce strategic dependency without isolating itself from global innovation?

Digital sovereignty should not mean digital isolation.