"This special edition honours the efforts of various state and non-state actors in the promotion of internet freedom in Africa. The report takes a deep dive into the dynamic landscape of internet freedom on the African continent and offers contextual information and evidence to inform ICT policymaki
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ng and practice, creates awareness on internet freedom issues on the continent, and shapes conversations by digital rights actors across the continent. Through a series of essays, authors in this special issue of the report reflect on the past 10 years on the state of Internet freedom in Africa, exploring various thematic issues around digital rights, including surveillance, privacy, censorship, disinformation, infrastructure, access, advocacy, online safety, internet shutdowns, among others. Authors featured in the report include, Admire Mare, Amanda Manyame, Blaise Pascal Andzongo Menyeng, Rima Rouibi, Victor Kapiyo, Felicia Anthonio. Richard Ngamita, Nanjala Nyabola, Professor Bitange Ndemo, Paul Kimumwe, and Edrine Wanyama. The report maps the way ahead for digital rights in Africa and the role that different stakeholders need to play to realise the Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa and Declaration 15 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development on leveraging digital technologies to accelerate human progress, bridge the digital divide, and develop knowledge societies." (Publisher description)
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"The first adopters of mobile money were economies in sub-Saharan Africa, and over time adoption rates have increased rapidly particularly in Asia and Latin America. As of 2020, there were 1.2 billion mobile money accounts globally, with US$ 767 billion in transactions during the year. Sub-Saharan A
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frica accounts for 45.2 percent of all registered mobile money accounts, while South Asia and East Asia and the Pacific account for 25.2 percent and 20 percent of registered accounts respectively. A wide range of transactions are executed on mobile money networks, including person-to-person transfers (which account for the largest share), as well as merchant payments, mobile-bank payments, international remittances, bill payments, government transfers and payments, business-to-business payments and airtime purchases. The overall trend shows mobile money continuing to scale rapidly in a number of countries globally, although a number of implementations have been unsuccessful. This report details the key lessons from the mobile money experience in Africa that can contribute to the effective design, regulation and operation of central bank-issued digital currencies (CBDCs), based on the wealth of theoretical and empirical evidence on the social, economic and cultural impact of mobile money. The lessons are categorized into regulatory, technology, economic and socio-cultural." (Executive summary)
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