Ministerial Panel: Striking the Balance: Achieving Innovation-Friendly Tech Regulation

Africa is poised to become one of the world’s most dynamic tech markets, with a digital economy projected to reach $712 billion by 2050. However, fragmented and outdated policy frameworks coupled with significant tax burdens, poses challenges to innovation. With the rapid advance of AI and other disruptive technologies, the need to foster innovation and implement necessary regulations becomes increasingly critical.

This panel brings together regulators and policy makers to discuss the future of innovation-friendly regulation in Africa’s tech landscape, aiming to find the optimal balance between consumer protection and tech advancement.

• Policy-innovation frameworks: exploring how Start-Up Acts and comprehensive national AI strategies can nurture new technologies and support emerging tech champions.

• Tech-Friendly regulatory environments: strategies for developing regulatory frameworks that encourage innovation while ensuring necessary protections for consumers.

• Regulatory sandboxes: key strategies needed to build networks of regulatory sandboxes across more countries, facilitating experimentation and innovation in a controlled environment.