Digital transformation in Botswana
The first speaker introduced Botswana’s national aspirations under Vision 2036, which aims to transform the country into a high-income nation by focusing on key areas, such as sustainability, resilience, innovation and research, and on alignment with global agendas such as the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and Africa’s Agenda 2063.
Vision 2036 is based on the four national pillars of sustainable economic development, human and social development, environmental sustainability and governance.
Botswana has made significant progress in digitalisation, including high numbers of mobile subscriptions, extensive mobile broadband coverage and fibre. The country aims to foster a conducive environment for foreign investment, ensuring business growth and legal protection. However, challenges remain, such as cybercrime, rural-urban digital divides and high ICT costs.
The speaker highlighted Mascom’s achievements in Botswana’s digital landscape. Mascom has delivered over 90 per cent 4G population coverage compared to the average figure in the developing world of 44 per cent. The country has also moved forward in making internet access more affordable and this is reflected in Botswana’s improvement in the affordability rankings.
Affordability and digital inclusion
Panellists discussed the challenges and potential solutions related to affordability and digital inclusion in Africa, emphasising the need for an approach that involved both the public and private sectors. Key points included the high cost of devices due to taxation, the importance of policy shifts to support affordable access to devices and the role of regulators in balancing the interests of consumers, operators and governments. Partnerships are needed to drive infrastructure investment and innovative models in order to bridge the gap between digital supply and demand, especially in underserved areas.
Other contributors acknowledged the progress in improving internet access but stressed the need to address the affordability of devices and services. Universal service funds (USFs) were mentioned as tools to improve connectivity, though concerns were raised about their effectiveness and bureaucratic challenges. The discussion emphasised creative approaches to expand internet access, particularly in underserved areas. One suggestion was to utilise existing university networks, and research and education networks to provide internet access to local communities, especially in areas where universities are not fully utilising their bandwidth. This has been exemplified in Kenya, where the government offers low-cost licences for community networks, and in Uganda, where USFs are used to support small internet service providers (ISPs) in rural areas. The conversation also highlighted the importance of pricing transparency and the creation of opportunities for smaller players, such as cooperatives and local ISPs, to enter the market. These measures could help bridge the digital divide by providing affordable internet access and fostering local content and digital literacy.
Debating digital access and the challenges of affordability in Africa, participants highlighted several key strategies:
Developing local content: Instead of just building infrastructure, there is a push to create local content that drives demand for digital services, particularly for government services and business. This approach leverages existing platform services for recreational, educational and business purposes.
Partnerships and training: Governments are working on initiatives to develop local talent, with Nigeria aiming to train millions in core digital skills, such as product design and cloud computing, to support its growing digital economy.
Challenges in infrastructure rollout: Uganda suffers from low uptake of infrastructure despite subsidies – mobile network operators often hesitate to invest in non-commercially viable areas. To address this, the country has implemented obligations for operators to cover these areas as part of their spectrum allocation.
Collaboration with NGOs: Uganda has partnered with organisations such as World Vision to provide devices to schools. NGOs handle digital literacy and content development, which reduces the overall cost and improves monitoring and evaluation.
Universal service funds: Both Uganda and Nigeria allocate funds to support digital inclusion, but face issues with government diversion of those funds. Uganda has found success by partnering with NGOs to enhance the fund’s effectiveness. However, panellists noted that in many countries, the problem is not the amount of funds collected but how they are spent.
Collaboration across sectors: There was a consensus on the need for cross-sector collaboration between private, public and non-profit entities to address the digital divide. Effective collaboration, particularly in content development and digital literacy, can help to create demand for digital services, driving affordability and greater access.
The media evolution
This discussion centred on the evolution of media from traditional platforms to digital, and particularly on how social media and OTT (over-the-top) services, such as Netflix, have disrupted the landscape.
Traditional broadcasters have had to evolve by adopting digital platforms alongside traditional media in order to remain competitive. They now compete with OTT platforms for audience attention and advertising revenue. As broadband penetration has increased, more consumers have shifted to online platforms, leading advertisers to follow. In South Africa, for instance, digital media advertising overtook TV advertising in 2021, which poses a significant challenge to free-to-air broadcasters which rely heavily on ad revenue.
Frenemies?
However, while OTT platforms were initially viewed as competitors, they are now seen as both competitors and allies. They share concerns in areas such as piracy, but compete for viewership and advertising revenue. OTTs also benefit from not having the same capital expenditure obligations that traditional broadcasters face.
Some contributors suggested that OTT platforms should be regulated similarly to traditional media, particularly in terms of content and competition policies. Issues like foreign ownership and unequal market conditions are seen as barriers to fair competition. Podcasters and digital influencers see digital platforms as opportunities to express diverse voices, especially in regions where traditional media is limited. However, they are also concerned about potential censorship and the need for clear regulations that balance freedom with accountability.
Self-regulation
There have been efforts from traditional broadcasters venturing into new media to self-regulate in order to ensure that they are prepared for any potential regulatory intervention. However, self-regulation from global players, such as Netflix and Amazon, is less structured, with policies typically set at a company level rather than sector-wide.
It was noted that local broadcasters in Africa have shifted focus towards local content to differentiate themselves from OTT platforms. However, they face stiff competition for independent producers, as OTT platforms, such as Netflix, can offer wider exposure across multiple markets, making it harder for local broadcasters to secure content. Traditional broadcasters are operating on both linear and new media platforms to stay relevant, but this dual approach is capital-intensive.
Ethical dilemmas
It was noted that potential ethical dilemmas come with digital services, such as diminishing face-to-face interaction and critical thinking. A speaker stressed the importance of making digital terms and conditions more accessible to users, particularly in local contexts, and raised concerns about exclusion from digital services for marginalised communities.
The panel discussed the complexity of navigating multiple regulatory bodies for digital platforms, with the need for collaboration between regulators and industry to ensure accessible and transparent processes for consumers. Simplifying user agreements and making them more comprehensible without compromising legal necessities were also emphasized.
AI governance in Africa
AI is seen as a transformative technology, but managing its growth responsibly is crucial. Regulators and companies must balance innovation with consumer protection, data security and transparency.
Panellists emphasised that AI solutions often come from global sources and can be ill-suited to Africa’s needs. African data, especially local languages, is not well represented in current AI models, leading to concerns over bias and accessibility. Solutions need to be localised, ensuring African perspectives are integrated.
Open-source AI models would foster innovation in Africa, allowing local developers to create solutions that address the continent’s unique challenges, such as in healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
AI was discussed as a significant opportunity for Africa to leapfrog in areas such as healthcare, education, and food security. AI solutions, such as large language models and in agricultural technology, are expected to help solve Africa-specific challenges.
A significant concern was how to govern AI responsibly in the face of its rapid development. Questions arose about how AI should be regulated without stifling innovation, drawing attention to international examples such as the EU’s restrictive AI laws.
The overall message was that Africa stands at a crossroads, where thoughtful AI governance could foster significant social and economic benefits, provided regulatory frameworks are created that suit the continent’s specific needs.
Media literacy
The session focused on media literacy, digital skills, regulatory reforms, educational integration and public awareness in Africa. There is an urgent need for digital literacy in order to address the continent’s growing digital divide. The discussion touched on the role of big tech companies, such as Google, in driving digital literacy in a culturally appropriate way. Speakers highlighted the importance of critical thinking in digital literacy, noting that regulators and academia need to work together to educate citizens, policymakers and students. A platform representative emphasised the need for a tailored approach to digital literacy in Africa, ensuring that both users and developers in the region have the capacity to engage with digital technologies. The importance of collaboration with educational institutions to embed digital skills into curricula was also stressed.
It was argued that a ‘do no harm’ approach should be taken in developing AI and other digital platforms, stressing the ethical considerations that must guide technological development.
Cybersecurity and critical infrastructure
It was argued that effective cybersecurity requires collaboration between the government, private sector and academia. Trust among these entities is critical for sharing information and mitigating threats.
Critical information infrastructure is essential for national security and economic stability, and better protection is crucial. Cybersecurity efforts are moving from prevention to building resilience. The focus is on how quickly systems can recover after an attack. Companies are investing in business continuity plans and resilience strategies to prepare for such scenarios.
Human error remains one of the biggest cybersecurity risks. Awareness programmes, such as simulated phishing attacks and cybersecurity training, are essential to building a ‘human firewall.’ The conversation also touched on new risks such as deepfakes and AI-driven threats. The rapid evolution of technology necessitates updated cybersecurity measures to stay ahead of these risks. Some challenges include the lack of trust in digital systems (for example, in Jamaica, where biometric data usage led to distrust) and the fact that many critical infrastructure systems are reliant on a single vendor. This increases vulnerability.
The Botswana forum was hosted by the Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) in partnership with CRASA (the Communications Regulators’ Association of Southern Africa).
This report was written with the help of generative AI.
