Telecom

South Africa, Mauritius, and Tunisia Lead E-Government Progress in Africa

South Africa, Mauritius, and Tunisia Lead E-Government Progress in Africa
Monday, 23 September 2024 14:56

In 2024, 19 African countries are recognized as strong performers in e-government, with scores of at least 0.5 out of 1. South Africa and Mauritius lead the rankings, while Tunisia has surpassed Seychelles.

South Africa (0.8616), Mauritius (0.7506), and Tunisia (0.6935) top the African continent in the latest E-Government Development Index (EGDI), according to a new report by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). The “E-Government Survey 2024: Accelerating Digital Transformation for Sustainable Development” report highlights these nations’ success in e-government development.

It evaluates the level of electronic government progress worldwide using the EGDI. This composite index includes three components: the Online Service Index (OSI), the Telecommunications Infrastructure Index (TII), and the Human Capital Index (HCI).

The document notes that globally, e-government development improved, with the average EGDI score rising to 0.6382 in 2024, up from 0.6102 in 2022. Asia saw the highest increase in its average EGDI score (7.7%), followed by Africa (4.8%), the Americas and Oceania (4.1%), and Europe (2.3%).

In addition to the top three African countries, Morocco (0.6841), Seychelles (0.6773), and Egypt (0.6699) made it into the global top 100, with EGDI values above the global average. The African continent's average EGDI score increased to 0.4247 in 2024, compared to 0.4054 in 2022.

The most significant factor driving the improvement in Africa’s e-government performance is the TII, which grew by 27.8%, rising from 0.3546 in 2022 to 0.4534 in 2024. UN DESA attributes this growth to increased investments in digital infrastructure, particularly as countries recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Strong telecommunications infrastructure is seen as critical to digital growth across the continent.

Notably, South Africa and Mauritius are the only African countries with very high EGDI scores (above 0.75), placing them among global leaders in digital transformation. Seventeen African countries have high EGDI scores (between 0.50 and 0.75), 28 scored in the medium range (0.25 to 0.50), and seven countries received low scores. The lowest-ranked countries include Burundi, Niger, Chad, Eritrea, Somalia, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic. The report notes that these low scores reflect significant gaps in digital infrastructure, online services, and human capital development, requiring urgent attention.

The digitization of public services is part of Africa’s 2020-2030 Digital Transformation Strategy, aimed at harnessing digital technology and innovation for socio-economic development. E-government is also helping African countries address various challenges, including improving legal frameworks for data security, investing in digital education, reducing corruption through system automation, and enhancing administrative efficiency.

On the same topic
Congo extends 3G network to 16 rural areas under PATN plan Expansion targets 30,000 people, aims to cut digital divide The Congolese government...
Airtel Africa has partnered with Vertiv to deploy high-capacity data centers, starting in Nigeria before expanding across Africa. Vertiv will provide...
President João Lourenço announced the creation of the Angolan Space Agency to manage national space activities. The agency will oversee projects...
Nokia extended its agreement with Vodafone to supply next-generation radio access network (RAN) equipment under a five-year investment program spanning...

Most Read
01

• The five-year plan allocates 388 billion pulas to boost growth and jobs.• Focus areas include tran...

Botswana unveils $27bn plan to accelerate economic diversification
02

• Parliament approves Virtual Asset Service Providers Bill 2025 to regulate digital assets• Central ...

Kenya passes landmark law to regulate booming cryptocurrency market
03

Indorama to invest $210M in Senegal phosphate sector upgrade ICS to expand fertilizer, acid ...

Indorama, Petrochemicals Major, to Invest $210 Million in Senegal Fertilizer Plant
04

Copper prices hit $10,775/t, their highest since May 2024, driven by a weak dollar and recent...

Copper Prices Extend Gains Close to Record Highs, Improving Prospects for Zambia and the DRC
05

• The Bank urges Nigeria to raise excise taxes on alcohol, tobacco, and sugary drinks.• Current rate...

World Bank backs higher public health taxes in Nigeria
Enter your email to receive our newsletter

Ecofin Agency provides daily coverage of nine key African economic sectors: public management, finance, telecoms, agribusiness, mining, energy, transport, communication, and education.
It also designs and manages specialized media, both online and print, for African institutions and publishers.

SALES & ADVERTISING

regie@agenceecofin.com 
Tél: +41 22 301 96 11 
Mob: +41 78 699 13 72


EDITORIAL
redaction@agenceecofin.com

More information
Team
Publisher

ECOFIN AGENCY

Mediamania Sarl
Rue du Léman, 6
1201 Geneva
Switzerland

 

Ecofin Agency is a sector-focused economic news agency, founded in December 2010. Its web platform was launched in June 2011. ©Mediamania.

 
 

Please publish modules in offcanvas position.