Southern Africa is taking steps towards more harmonised data governance as countries seek to overcome fragmented frameworks, capacity gaps and uneven levels of policy maturity that can constrain cross-border data flows, regional integration and readiness for artificial intelligence (AI).
To help address these challenges, UNESCO, Smart Africa and Zimbabwe’s Ministry of ICT, Postal and Courier Services convened policymakers, regulators and technical experts from across Southern Africa for a regional capacity-building workshop on data governance.
The workshop focused on UNESCO’s Data Governance Toolkit: Navigating Data in the Digital Age, which provides practical guidance to governments and organisations seeking to strengthen data governance and translate policy principles into effective institutional practices.
Data governance experts from Botswana, Comoros, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, South Africa and Zimbabwe exchanged national experiences, undertook self-assessments and worked together towards a roadmap for greater harmonisation of data governance frameworks across the region.
Participants included senior policymakers, regulators and technical experts from ICT ministries, AI structures and data protection authorities.
The discussions highlighted the importance of moving beyond fragmented national approaches towards trusted, interoperable and rights-based data governance systems that can facilitate secure data flows, strengthen regional cooperation and create stronger foundations for responsible AI.
Speaking during the workshop, Permanent Secretary in Zimbabwe’s Ministry of ICT, Postal and Courier Services, Dr Beaullah Chirume, underscored the urgency of greater regional alignment:
Isolated national policies create fragmented digital ecosystems, which disrupt cross-border commerce, discourage investment, and hinder seamless regional integration. Without strong data governance and policy standardisation, our region risks falling behind in AI readiness.
Permanent Secretary in Zimbabwe’s Ministry of ICT, Postal and Courier Services, Dr Beaullah Chirume.
Effective data governance is increasingly important not only for managing information, but also for protecting rights, strengthening public institutions and enabling countries to benefit from digital transformation.
Data underpins public service delivery, research, innovation and the development and deployment of AI. Building trusted governance systems is therefore essential to ensuring that digital transformation remains inclusive, accountable and responsive to national and regional development priorities.
Representing the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa, Ms Elena Constantinou emphasised the wider significance of strengthening these systems:
Data governance is no longer merely a technical consideration; it is the backbone of our future economic resilience and technological advancements. Building strong data governance capabilities equips us not only to make well-informed policy and business decisions, but also to protect national sovereignty in an increasingly interconnected world.
Officer in Charge for UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa, Ms Elena Constantinou.
The workshop forms part of UNESCO’s broader support to Member States to strengthen governance of emerging technologies. This includes capacity development, data governance initiatives and the application of UNESCO’s Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) to help countries assess their preparedness for the ethical and responsible development and use of AI.
By strengthening institutional capacity, encouraging peer learning and advancing greater alignment of national approaches, countries across Southern Africa can build more trusted data ecosystems that support secure data flows, protect rights and enable inclusive digital and AI transformation.
The next challenge is to translate the momentum generated through regional dialogue into practical national and regional action, strengthening institutions, aligning frameworks and building the trusted data systems needed for Southern Africa’s digital future.
READ MORE: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-supports-southern-africa-harmonise-data-governance?hub=701
