E-government: Between 2022 and 2024, Africa progressed by 4.8% (Report)
September 25th 2024
For several years, African governments have multiplied initiatives in favor of digitalization. It thus contributes to the development of the digital economy on the continent.
In Africa, the e-Government Development Index (EGDI) increased by 4.8% between 2022 and 2024, from 0.405 4 to 0.424 7. This is according to a report by the United Nations (UN) published in September 2024.
Entitled “E-Government Survey 2024”, this report analyses the progress made by the 193 Member States in the digital development of public administrations. It also indicates that Africa shows the second highest progression after Asia, with an increase of 7.7%.
Although modest, this improvement demonstrates the continued efforts of many African countries to develop their digital public services. Among them, Mauritius and South Africa stand out by joining the group of countries with a very high EGDI (above 0.75), a first for the continent.
However, despite this positive trend, e-government in Africa faces several obstacles that slow down its development. According to the UN, even if the continent’s average EGDI increases, it remains well below the world average, which stands at 0.638 2 in 2024.
Several factors explain this delay. “ Significant disparities in digital infrastructure, connectivity, digital skills and e-government readiness persist within the region, ” explains the UN. For example, only 37% of Africans were using the Internet in 2023, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). This adoption rate remains particularly low in rural areas where Internet access is limited.
Other African countries have made progress in the digitalization of public services
In the high EGDI group, which includes countries with an index between 0.5 and 0.75, we have nations such as Tunisia and Seychelles. In total, 17 African countries are in this group compared to 16 in 2022. These countries have made significant progress in providing quality government services. This is the case of eSwatini, Libya and Senegal. Morocco and Egypt, which are in this group, have reached the world top 100 for the first time.
In the class of countries with intermediate EGDI, there are 28 African countries compared to 32 in 2022. These are the countries whose scores are between 0.25 and 0.5. Benin, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Congo are included. Finally, now 7 African countries are in the group with low EGDI compared to 6 in 2022. Burundi, which was part of the group with intermediate EGDI, has regressed.
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