According to TechCabal Insights, between 2023 and 2027, the number of African online shoppers is expected to grow by an average of 17.9% per year. With the adoption rate of e-commerce rising sharply, security is a fundamental element in user confidence in digital commerce. According to the experts, domain name management needs to be strengthened for this purpose.
The potential for digital commerce in Africa to stimulate economic growth, improve access to markets and reduce inequality is enormous. However, to achieve its full potential, it is essential to ensure that users’ access to the Internet is secure and reliable. It is with this in mind that ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) is taking action.
« We have to ensure that the players work in a secure way, so at the African level, I think that talking about the management of domain names, i.e. .CG points, .MD points, .CM points and all that, means understanding that we are dealing with critical Internet resources and at that moment, to guarantee the interoperability of the systems, we have to have secure management. »
Pierre Dandjinou, ICANN Vice-President in charge of Africa – Benin
E-commerce penetration among the African population is projected to reach 40% in 2024. Sales will increase by 10.4% a year until 2027, to USD 59.18 billion, according to digital economy consultancy Tech Cabal Insights in a public report, testifying to the great interest in digital.
« We have many other activities in the field of what we call the installation of root servers to reduce latency, we have projects on digital inclusion and therefore ensure that local languages, for example, can be on the Internet. We have a whole strategy to support the various countries so that everyone can find their way on the Internet, and especially for Africa, to go on the Internet as a priority for development ».
Pierre Dandjinou, ICANN Vice-President in charge of Africa – Benin
The outlook for the sector therefore remains promising in a context marked by the digitalisation of payments and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area. As a result, a number of initiatives such as the Coalition for digital Africa, which encourages entrepreneurial initiatives aimed at strengthening the Internet infrastructure, deserve to be encouraged.
« It’s a coalition of institutions that have more or less the same activities, i.e. in the digital domain, but that share two or three things: institutions that believe in an Internet that encompasses everyone, that believe in an Internet that is secure, that is interoperable, that is unique. So we have a dozen partners at the moment who have joined ICANN to support connectivity in Africa, but also to ensure that Africa can define content that is very important to its development. »
Pierre Dandjinou, ICANN Vice-President in charge of Africa – Benin
To reap the full benefits of digital technology, countries need to create an environment that is conducive to technology. This requires regulations that facilitate competition and market entry, and skills that enable workers to take advantage of the digital economy to accelerate development.
