Data in Motion: Navigating Progress and Gaps in Africa’s Data Landscape
This analysis of the findings for the Africa region in the second edition of the Global Data Barometer was compiled by Keziah Kithei Munyao, Researcher and Community of Practice Lead from Local Development Research Institute.
Africa is home to over 50 countries with diverse ethnic, linguistic, cultural, and political identities. Despite these differences, many nations share common aspirations for democratic governance and sustainable development. Each nation carries its own colonial legacy and development path, resulting in a broad spectrum of governance systems and institutional capacities. Despite these differences, the region shares several cross-cutting social and political trends that significantly influence its data landscape and digital transformation efforts.
The Global Data Barometer research covered 22 countries from across Eastern, Central, and Western Africa, as well as parts of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The data landscape across Africa is undergoing a transformative shift, shaped by socio-political change, digital innovation, and growing civic demand for transparency. There is a noticeable uptake in the adoption of legal and institutional frameworks to manage public data responsibly. At the same time, countries are leveraging technology to improve data collection, accessibility, and citizen engagement.
Key Trends in Africa
Key upward trends have been noted in Public Procurement, Data Protection, and Budget and Spending Transparency. These trends highlight growing awareness among African governments of the strategic value of data in driving development, fostering trust, and enhancing accountability. The progress in these areas is often catalyzed by both internal policy reforms and external commitments to initiatives such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Open Government Partnership (OGP). However, gaps remain especially in areas like Political Integrity, Land Management, Lobbying Transparency, and Language. These deficits continue to limit equitable access to information, public oversight, and effective civic participation.
Main Highlights of the Barometer
Public procurement has emerged as a standout area of progress. Several countries have strengthened legal frameworks and decentralized procurement systems to enhance transparency and accountability. While the regional average is 65.48, a closer look reveals that countries like Uganda (92.38), Kenya (88.34), South Africa (87.76) are making strides to effectively govern public procurement processes. Uganda has introduced electronic procurement systems that improve efficiency, reduce corruption, and promote competitive bidding, while Kenya’s Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) compliant procurement portal provides real-time, accessible procurement data to the public. These countries offer an example of how comprehensive tracking of public procurement processes can facilitate better public participation, enable scrutiny of government contracts, and enhance value-for-money assessments in public spending.
In addition to public procurement safeguards, countries have taken substantial steps to align national data protection laws with international standards. At least 9 of the 22 countries analyzed have enacted data protection laws, including Kenya, Rwanda, Malawi, and South Africa. However, only a handful show consistent enforcement or have dedicated data protection authorities with operational independence.
Key Obstacles and Challenges
Although data publication is increasing, a widespread lack of public service training continues to undermine data use capacity. Among the 22 countries surveyed, scores varied significantly—some reaching around 50.00, while others fell between 0.00 and 40. This disparity highlights a broader issue: many governments across the continent are not investing adequately in training programs, educational efforts, or targeted capacity-building initiatives needed to translate data into actionable insights.
While progress has been made in establishing supportive legal frameworks for data publication, significant foundational gaps remain across the surveyed countries. Only nine have adopted comprehensive legal frameworks for data management. Addressing these legislative gaps will be critical to enabling meaningful public participation, enhancing governmental transparency, and fostering greater trust in public institutions.
Although all the surveyed countries constitutionally recognize more than one official language, most publish public datasets in only one language. Tunisia is a notable exception, making efforts to provide some datasets in multiple languages. For example, Morocco’s 2011 Constitution recognizes Arabic and Amazigh as official languages, and Organic Law No. 26.16 of 2019 supports their integration into public life. However, there is no clear provision requiring government data to be accessible in Amazigh, limiting practical implementation and linguistic inclusivity. This significantly reduces the reach and usability of public data, especially in multilingual societies.
Key Recommendations: Building a Resilient, Inclusive Data Future
While data availability is steadily improving across the region, the capacity to interpret and apply this data effectively remains limited among key stakeholder groups. Bridging the gap between data access and data use requires targeted capacity-building initiatives, particularly for civil society organizations, journalists, and local government officials. Supporting civic tech hubs, community-driven data programs, and youth-oriented data bootcamps can help democratize data use and spark innovation. Notable examples include Code for Africa’s data journalism academies, which equip media practitioners with data analysis skills, and BudgIT’s public finance tracking tools in Nigeria, which empower citizens to hold governments accountable.
Legal reforms alone are not enough, effective enforcement is crucial. To bridge this gap, governments must allocate adequate resources to support independent oversight bodies, particularly those responsible for implementing data laws and managing open data platforms. Embedding robust accountability mechanisms within public institutions will be key to translating legal frameworks into meaningful, actionable outcomes.
To ensure that data serves all citizens equitably, especially marginalized groups and persons with disabilities it must be inclusive, accessible, and reflective of diverse realities. An example of inclusive digital infrastructure is the website of Kenya’s Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, which has implemented accessibility features to support users with disabilities. This approach reflects a growing recognition that digital inclusion is a key pillar of effective and ethical data governance.
Transparency in political financing, lobbying, and electoral processes is essential for strengthening democratic governance. However, many countries in the region continue to restrict access to politically sensitive datasets, often citing concerns over national stability or political control. Opening up this data is crucial to rebuilding public trust, enhancing civic engagement, and ensuring accountability in government institutions.
Some of the region’s most effective data initiatives are rooted in local realities rather than imposed from the top down. Projects such as community mapping, participatory budgeting, and citizen-generated data demonstrate how communities can actively shape the data agenda. For example, OpenStreetMap contributors mapping informal settlements or residents using mobile tools to monitor local budgets reflect how grassroots efforts can fill critical data gaps. Inclusion leads to better data and better outcomes. By anchoring data practices in lived experiences, these initiatives highlight how contextual relevance builds trust, enhances utility, and strengthens impact. While grassroots innovations show great promise, scaling these efforts require systemic support, sustained funding, and political will.
Explore the full regional findings in the Global Data Barometer website, and join the conversation on how we can shape a data future that works for everyone.