Countries

Zimbabwe is actively pursuing digital transformation across various sectors to enhance economic growth and service delivery. The country has made notable progress in mobile connectivity, with a penetration rate exceeding 96% and internet usage reaching approximately 78.55% as of 2024. The widespread adoption of mobile money services, particularly EcoCash, has significantly improved financial inclusion, with millions of users conducting transactions via mobile platforms.

The government has implemented policies such as the National ICT Policy 2022–2027 and the Smart Zimbabwe 2030 Master Plan to guide digital initiatives. These frameworks emphasize infrastructure development, digital skills enhancement, and innovation promotion. In higher education, efforts are underway to integrate digital technologies, although challenges like inadequate infrastructure and limited funding persist.

In cybersecurity, Zimbabwe enacted the Cyber and Data Protection Act in 2021, establishing a legal framework to safeguard personal data and combat cybercrime. The government is finalizing a National Cybersecurity Strategy to further strengthen digital security measures.

The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is also gaining momentum, with applications in public safety, banking, and agriculture. For instance, Bulawayo implemented an AI-driven security system in 2024 to enhance law enforcement capabilities.

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Madagascar’s digital transformation is gradually taking shape through a combination of institutional reform, expanding infrastructure, and targeted international partnerships. Since 2019, the country has developed a structured approach to digital governance with the establishment of the Digital Governance Unit (DGU) and the role of a Chief Digital Officer, tasked with modernizing public services and guiding digital policy. Supported by the World Bank and public-sector consultancies, the government has introduced agile and user-centred service delivery models, combining online platforms, SMS, call centres, and in-person access points. Key examples include the Orinasa platform for business registration, which has drastically reduced application times, and the deployment of vaccination certificates through digital channels. A flagship initiative, the PRODIGY programme, is rolling out a nationwide biometric digital identity system aimed at achieving universal coverage and enabling interoperability across public services.

The country’s internet connectivity has significantly improved in recent years. Madagascar is now connected to four submarine cable systems—EASSy, LION/LION2, METISS, and 2Africa. These cables land at different coastal cities and link into a 10,000 km domestic fibre network managed primarily by Telma. The arrival of the 2Africa cable in Mahajanga in 2023 has notably increased bandwidth capacity and resilience. In rural areas, the government is experimenting with innovative infrastructure models such as ICT villages powered by solar energy, which provide access to telemedicine, e-learning, and broadband internet in underserved regions. While core connectivity is improving, last-mile coverage remains a challenge, particularly in remote communities.

Despite these infrastructural advances, Madagascar lacks a dedicated national cybersecurity strategy. The legal framework for cybercrime is based on Law No. 2014‑006, which criminalizes a broad range of offences including illegal access, system interference, data theft, and online fraud. This was later amended by Law No. 2016‑031, which clarified and expanded the original provisions. However, enforcement remains weak due to the absence of procedural regulations, a national computer emergency response team (CIRT), and limited institutional capacity. The country also passed a data protection law in 2014, but the designated authority, CMIL, has never been operationalized, and implementation regulations have not been issued. While Madagascar ratified the African Union’s Malabo Convention in 2024, which requires the creation of national cybersecurity frameworks, progress in this area has been slow.

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Rwanda is a fast-growing digital economy, having achieved high visibility due to its digital achievements. In the 2022 Global Startup Ecosystem Index, Rwanda holds the eighth position among startup ecosystems in the Middle East and Africa, securing the fourth spot in Africa overall. International aspects are stressed in Rwanda’s ICT Hub Strategy, which calls for partnerships with global organisations/institutions to develop the tech-based solutions needed to address socioeconomic challenges in areas such as education, health, and agriculture.

The concept of data sovereignty has been at the core of the government’s National Data Revolution Policy, which requires that national data be hosted locally: ‘Rwanda shall retain exclusive sovereign rights on her national data with control and power over its own data.’ However, the policy mentions the importance of collaborating with regional and international stakeholders in building a data industry, and notes that the government will work on attracting investors in the data industry. Data protection regulations adopt the extraterritorial approach of the EU’s GDPR. This means that entities outside of the country that handle citizens’ data are subject to the law. Rwanda intends to develop a national AI policy focused on the ethical use of AI in support of social and economic development.

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New Zealand is a digitally advanced nation with a high internet penetration rate of 95.7% as of early 2024. The government has implemented comprehensive strategies to enhance digital infrastructure, including the Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) program and the Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI), aiming to provide high-speed internet access across urban and rural areas. In the realm of cybersecurity, the Privacy Act 2020 governs data protection, outlining principles for the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information. The country is also investing in emerging technologies, with initiatives like the Quantum Technologies Research Programme supporting advancements in quantum computing and communication. To attract global talent, New Zealand has relaxed visa regulations, allowing digital nomads to work remotely within the country for up to 90 days without incurring local taxes. These efforts reflect New Zealand’s commitment to fostering a secure, inclusive, and innovative digital environment.

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​Mauritius’s strategic location in the Indian Ocean has positioned it as one of the pivotal hubs for submarine communication cables, enhancing its digital connectivity and economic prospects. The island nation serves as a landing point for several key submarine cable systems, including the South Africa Far East (SAFE) cable, the Lower Indian Ocean Network (LION), and the Mauritius and Rodrigues Submarine Cable System (MARS). The SAFE cable, operational since 2002, connects South Africa to Malaysia with landing points in Mauritius and Réunion, facilitating high-speed digital links between Africa and Asia. The LION cable, inaugurated in 2009, links Madagascar, Réunion, and Mauritius, providing a design capacity of 1.28 terabits per second and supporting the region’s digital economy. In 2019, the MARS cable further enhanced connectivity by linking Mauritius to Rodrigues, significantly increasing bandwidth and reducing reliance on satellite connections.

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Mali’s internet governance is shaped by its efforts to expand access, promote cybersecurity, and ensure digital inclusion. The Ministry of Digital Economy and Communication plays a key role in managing the country’s digital policies, which focus on improving internet access, particularly in rural areas where connectivity remains limited. A significant part of the strategy is to bridge the urban-rural digital divide by increasing infrastructure investments.

Additionally, Mali is working to strengthen its cybersecurity framework, following the broader regional approach of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). This includes combating cybercrime and improving cybersecurity measures to protect citizens and institutions from digital threats. ECOWAS has been instrumental in promoting a unified regional strategy for cybersecurity, and Mali has aligned itself with these goals to secure its digital ecosystem​

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Mauritania has expanded its digital infrastructure quickly, building a national fibre backbone of around 4,000 km and developing a state-run data centre and IXP through SDIN. A second submarine cable connection via EllaLink is underway, which will reduce the country’s long-standing dependence on a single international route and improve its resilience.

The policy environment is comparatively advanced for the region, with a National Digital Transformation Agenda, a national cybersecurity strategy, a broadband strategy, and a National AI Strategy 2025–2029. Mauritania also has a full data-protection law (2017-020) and has ratified the AU Malabo Convention, placing it among the more norm-aligned digital governance frameworks in West Africa.

Digital adoption remains modest, with e-commerce still largely informal and many transactions happening via social-media platforms. While broadband and mobile access continue to improve, national assessments highlight gaps in skills, affordability and institutional capacity that still limit widespread digital uptake.

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Qatar is among the most connected countries in the world, with approximately 99–100% of its population using the internet, compared to a global average of around 63% in 2025. Mobile connections account for approximately 156% of the population, reflecting the prevalence of multi-SIM and smartphone use, while social media identities cover roughly 84% of residents. The two operators, Ooredoo and Vodafone, report nationwide 4G/5G coverage, including desert areas, giving Qatar one of the densest mobile broadband footprints in the region, with internet prices for a basic basket below 1% of average income.

On the infrastructure side, Qatar combines near-universal fibre-to-the-home with strong international connectivity via at least six operational submarine cable systems (AAE-1, Falcon, FOG, GBI, Qatar-UAE and TGN-Gulf), plus new capacity from 2Africa and the Fibre in Gulf (FIG) regional cable. Ooredoo has announced over US$500 million in new international cable projects and alternative land routes to Europe, aimed at improving resilience and latency. Qatar is also one of the few states in the region hosting two hyperscale cloud regions, Microsoft Azure (Qatar Central) and Google Cloud Doha, offering in-country, multi-zone infrastructure backed by a growing local data centre market and a national internet exchange point, where 65% of the 1,000 most-visited sites are reachable locally.

At the policy level, Qatar has a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2019) and an Artificial Intelligence Committee to steer AI deployment and skills development, part of a broader ‘AI+X’ vision for the economy. All this is complemented by a comprehensive National Cyber Security Strategy 2024–2030, which aims to make Qatar a regional leader in the secure adoption of emerging technologies, and by one of the region’s earliest standalone data-protection laws. Large-scale partnerships have already moved dozens of government and semi-government entities onto national cloud platforms, reinforcing Qatar’s position as one of the more digitally advanced and policy-active Gulf states, even as issues such as competition, content controls and long-term diversification remain under discussion.

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