Posted inRegional Tech Trade
Who Owns Africa’s Internet?
For decades, the scramble for Africa was defined by physical borders and mineral rights. Today, a new map is being drawn—not in ink, but in fiber-optic glass and silicon. While…
Posted inRegional Tech Trade
China–Africa Smart Cities: Surveillance and Regional Governance
The cameras arrived without fanfare and went up quietly. No national referendum. No citywide debate. In many cases, not even a parliamentary vote. One day, traffic lights adjusted themselves. Police…
Posted inRegional Tech Trade
South Africa’s 5G Strategy: Pragmatism Under Pressure
Lessons for Resource-Constrained Nations While Washington urged countries to exclude Chinese vendors from 5G networks, Pretoria faced a harder choice: balance security risks against economic reality, or risk being left…
Posted inRegional Tech Trade
Why Data is Still Expensive in Africa Despite More Internet Cables
At 3AM in Nairobi, Sarah Mwangi sits at her laptop, cursor hovering over the "Update Now" button. Her graphic design software needs a 2GB update to fix a critical bug.…
Posted inRegional Tech Trade
Zimbabwe’s Controversial Partnership with CloudWalk
When a Harare commuter walks through Robert Mugabe International Airport, cameras track their every move. Their face is scanned, analyzed, and matched against a growing database, not just for Zimbabwe's…
Posted inRegional Tech Trade
The African Digital Contract Checklist for Chinese Tech Deals
A Sovereignty-First Negotiation Playbook Informed by Abuja's $470M Surveillance Failure and the Strategic Choices Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Kenya Used to Stay Ahead The Abuja CCTV meltdown exposed far more than…
Posted inRegional Tech Trade
Ghana’s Digital Crossroads: China, the West, and Data Sovereignty
An Investigation into Who Controls the Infrastructure Behind Africa's Digital Future In September 2024, Ghana's National Information Technology Agency (NITA) quietly signed a memorandum of understanding with Huawei Cloud to…
Posted inRegional Tech Trade
Nigeria’s $470M Chinese Camera System That Can’t See Crime
How Abuja’s failed CCTV deal exposes the hidden costs of Africa’s digital partnerships with China—and the playbook to fix them. As of Q4 2025, Nigeria continues to repay a $470…
Posted inRegional Tech Trade
Growth of Africa’s Internet and Telecommunication Sector
Africa's internet and telecommunication sector is growing. And I mean in this leapfrog, mobile-first way that's honestly fascinating to watch. Across the continent, mobile technology has become the gateway to…
Posted inRegional Tech Trade
China’s Digital Footprint in Africa: The Quiet Revolution Reshaping a Continent
When people think of China in Africa, they picture roads, railways and massive ports. That's part of the story. But there's another revolution happening right now, and it's quieter, deeper,…