EXPERT COLOUMN
BEN LEITCH CXO CYBER CONNECTIONS AND
DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER
TECH CONGLOMERATES IN AFRICA: A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD
As global tech giants expand their footprint across Africa, the continent faces a complex challenge: balancing the benefits of foreign investment with the imperative of maintaining digital sovereignty. While these companies bring infrastructure and innovation, their growing presence raises questions about control, data ownership and the future of Africa’ s digital landscape.
In August 2025 alone, major tech companies like Google, Microsoft and Meta intensified their AI-driven projects across Africa, targeting pressing challenges such as climate change, maternal health and food security. For instance, Google’ s AI models aim to predict wildfires and assist in maternal health monitoring, while Microsoft’ s AI for Good Lab focuses on climate solutions.
On the surface, these initiatives appear beneficial, offering advanced technological solutions to longstanding problems. However, the increasing reliance on foreignowned infrastructure and platforms may limit African nations’ ability to regulate and protect their digital ecosystems effectively.
While these projects are marketed as being‘ for good’, they often come with strings attached. The reliance on proprietary technologies and platforms controlled by foreign corporations can undermine local efforts to develop local digital solutions. This dependency risks sustaining a form of digital colonialism, where African nations remain consumers of technology rather than creators.
The influx of tech giants in the continent also raises significant data sovereignty issues. Africa’ s vast and diverse datasets are invaluable, yet the control over this data often resides outside the continent. The absence of data localisation hampers the ability to ensure compliance with local regulations, undermining efforts to implement data protection laws and protect citizens’ digital rights.
Furthermore, the dominance of foreign platforms can result in the outflow of profits from the continent, limiting the reinvestment of earnings into local economies.
It’ s a tricky act to balance. On the one hand, the increase of global tech giants brings potentially lifechanging investment, infrastructure and expertise that can accelerate digital adoption across the continent.
On the other hand, excessive reliance on transnational companies risks eroding local control over critical digital assets. The challenge, then, lies in fostering an environment where foreign participation complements, rather than dominates, the growth of homegrown innovation. p
18 INTELLIGENTCIO AFRICA www. intelligentcio. com