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<p>BlueChip Technologies has held its maiden Data and AI summit in Lagos as it reimagines the future of tech ecosystems and innovative solutions in Nigeria. CNBC Africa brings you details of the highlights and more in this special broadcast.</p>


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BlueChip Technologies holds maiden Data & AI Summit


<p>As Africa’s leading entertainment company, MultiChoice delivers Direct To Home (DTH), Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) and online video entertainment services through its entertainment platforms – DStv, GOtv, Showmax and DStv Now – to approximately 20 million subscribers across 50 countries in Africa.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="806" height="600" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Multichoice-logo-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-417481" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Multichoice-logo-1.png 806w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Multichoice-logo-1-300x223.png 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Multichoice-logo-1-121x90.png 121w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Multichoice-logo-1-768x572.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 806px) 100vw, 806px" /><figcaption>MultiChoice</figcaption></figure>



<p>The depth and breadth of this offering is why the company needs its data and analytics to be agile, future-proof and scalable. For MultiChoice, this meant one thing: a benchmark project to deploy Microsoft’s Azure <a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/synapse-analytics/#overview">Synapse</a> technology – bringing together data integration, enterprise data warehousing, and big data analytics – to give the Group deeper insights, faster, to better serve millions of viewers.</p>



<p><strong>Aspiring to extraordinary analytics capabilities &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p>



<p>The initiative – codenamed ‘Vibranium’ after the fictional Wakanda metal with extraordinary abilities to absorb, store, manipulate and release large amounts of kinetic energy – sought to achieve the same power from data across the MultiChoice Group. The Group, already mature in its data analytics strategy, was challenged in that it had numerous data and analytics teams working throughout the company’s &nbsp;businesses across Africa.&nbsp;</p>



<p>These teams had been relying on disparate data environments, many of them on-premise. “We needed an agile and scalable, cloud-based single source of truth, with full governance and compliance that would not limit or slow the work of our autonomous analytics teams,” says Jeandre Du Toit, Lead for Modern Data Architecture at MultiChoice Group.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The company partnered with Microsoft to implement aspects of its enterprise data strategy across the Group, including data management, modern data architecture, BI and advanced analytics, and more modern ways of working. </p>



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<p>MultiChoice introduced DataOps with continuous integration and delivery, as well as a more agile approach in which solutions were delivered in slivers for immediate value, then expanded for incremental value.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“We also wanted to adopt cloud in order to take advantage of new features and new technologies being made available, while also ensuring that we could easily scale, consume and adopt. Because we already had a trusted relationship with Microsoft and in-house Microsoft skills sets that the Group could leverage, we turned to Microsoft,” says du Toit.</p>



<p><strong>Getting deeper insights, faster</strong></p>



<p>The ideal solution for MultiChoice’s needs was Azure Synapse Analytics. Delivering insights up to 14 times faster than other cloud providers, the solution addressed the MultiChoice Group’s top priorities: getting deeper insights, faster.</p>



<p>Adoption was accelerated by using Microsoft Consulting Services, and MultiChoice had direct access to international Microsoft engineers for guidance and collaboration to ensure a well-architected design and framework. The new principles and systems required some upskilling in partnership with Microsoft, but the Group’s data analysts report that they are excited about the new tools at their disposal to deliver on MultiChoice’s requirements.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Vibranium is also among the first projects in the world to be privy to information about new Synapse features still in development, and is therefore able to develop its architecture with a view to utilising those features in future as technologies and demands change.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>A single version of the truth</strong></p>



<p>Teams can now also tap into additional information they previously did not have access to, or didn’t know was available, through integrated data stored in a single place and acting as a single version of the truth.</p>



<p>“We are becoming an analytics-driven organisation that understands why treating our data as an asset in a digital world is critical and considers insights an imperative to continuously adapt in a world where change has become a constant,” says Debra Goosen, Analytics Innovation Lead at MultiChoice. “As a large-scale transformation programme, Vibranium is the vehicle that has been set up to achieve these objectives and enables us to continuously evolve.”</p>



<p>The project is also building synergies in the company, with data and analytics teams building on each-other’s work and developing far richer solutions for the organisation. In addition, standardised principles and governance are now applied across the group to ensure data is managed appropriately.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The MultiChoice Group views the large-scale project as transformative in nature, delivering both a modern data platform and a more modern way of work, which will enable it to be more competitive and deliver more personal, relevant engagement and services for its viewers.</p>



<p>“The deeper insights we’re gaining allows us to push our strategy to the next level. We’re a lot more agile and we are starting to see an increase in the cadence of our deliveries,” says du Toit.</p>



<p>To find out what benefits Azure Synapse Analytics can bring to your business, visit <a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/synapse-analytics/">Azure Synapse Analytics | Microsoft Azure</a></p>


Multichoice logo (1)

Making Africa’s leading entertainment company’s data and analytics agile, scalable and future-proof

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<p>Access to quality data and a sharper focus on non-financial data is a critical factor for rebuilding a better Africa. Less than half of the SDG indicators in Africa are accompanied by data, which makes it nearly impossible to track progress accurately. Arielle Molino, Associate Vice President at Intellecap joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


How to improve access to quality data in Africa


<p>NAIROBI (Reuters) &#8211; Kenya’s top telecoms operator Safaricom has seen a 70% surge in data usage as people stay at home to <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/east-africa/2020/04/08/how-african-economies-can-survive-the-covid-19-crisis/">curb the spread of the new coronavirus</a>, it said on Tuesday.</p>



<p>The government closed schools and asked people to work from home where possible last month, after the East African nation reported its first case of the virus.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/videos/2020/04/14/how-kenya-plans-to-help-its-informal-sector-survive-the-covid-19-crisis/">Confirmed cases have risen to 208</a> and additional restrictions, including a night time curfew, have been imposed.</p>



<p>Safaricom, which is partly owned by South Africa’s Vodacom and Britain’s Vodafone, said mobile phone data usage had jumped 35% as users streamed movies, worked from home and used social media sites like Facebook.</p>



<p>The company is one of the biggest providers of internet access in Kenya, supplying 300,000 homes with a fibre connection, and nearly all of the 47 million population with second, third and fourth generation mobile internet coverage.</p>



<p>Along with financial services platform M-Pesa, the data business has been one of the key drivers of earnings growth for Safaricom in recent years.</p>



<p>(Reporting by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Jon Boyle and Mark Potter)</p>



<p>This article was first published on Reuters Africa <a href="https://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFKCN21W1NH-OZABS">https://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFKCN21W1NH-OZABS</a> and is republished with its permission.</p>



<p>For more coverage on COVID-19 visit: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/">https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/</a></p>


Here’s how to apply for SA’s COVID-19 loan guarantee scheme

Kenya’s Safaricom sees 70% jump in data usage during COVID-19 lockdown


<p>JOHANNESBURG, Jan 15 (Reuters) &#8211; South African telecoms company Telkom SA told unions on Wednesday it could cut up to 3,000 of more than 15,000 staff as it struggles with declining performance in fixed voice and fixed data services.</p>



<p>Like other African telecoms firms, Telkom, in which the government holds a stake of about 40%, is trying to keep pace with a surge in demand for the internet and data with growing smart phone usage.</p>



<p>It is also grappling with organisational and operational inefficiencies linked to fixed voice and data services, which require more staff to install, maintain and market, it said in a letter to unions seen by Reuters.</p>



<p>The telecom provider said it will consider voluntary severance and early retirement packages for employees affected by phase one of the job cut, which will affect employees at Openserve and the Consumer divisions from January to April.</p>



<p>The affected jobs include support employees, specialist, operational employees and supervisory and management levels in its wholesale division Openserve, the consumer unit as well as in its corporate centre.</p>



<p>The announcement comes two days after retailer Massmart Holdings, majority owned by U.S. retail giant Walmart , said it could cut up to 1,440 jobs under a plan to close some stores as it struggles to grow sales in a tough economy.</p>



<p>Telkom, which runs South Africa’s biggest fixed-line telecom network, is migrating customers to mobile voice and data as well as fibre, where it is one of the small players in a market dominated by Vodacom and MTN Group.</p>



<p>&#8220;The deterioration in the economic climate, increased operational, regulatory and competitive constraints, coupled with continuing rapid migration from fixed voice and data business have all had a major ongoing negative operational and financial impact on Telkom,&#8221; it said.</p>



<p>&#8220;For Telkom to survive the current and anticipated tough trading conditions, it is imperative to seek and implement measures which will drastically reduce costs, eliminate inefficiencies and improve operational and financial performance in the interest of securing its continued commercial viability and employment for the majority of the employees.&#8221;</p>



<p>Telkom said it wants a leaner structure in its Openserve and group IT division and a focused skills set in line with the new business demands of a mobile focused business. While in consumer, the unit needs to be more market driven and customer focused.</p>



<p>(Reporting by Nqobile Dludla; Editing by Susan Fenton and Elaine Hardcastle)</p>


South Africa’s telecoms company Telkom could cut 3,000 jobs -letter to unions

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<p>According to latest data from the Controller of Budget in Kenya 25 of the 47 counties spent nothing on development in the first quarter to September, hurting job creation and infrastructure projects in the devolved units. This is a 45 per cent drop compared to the $34.6 million governors spent on development activities in a similar period a year ago. Also, commercial banks are on course to post another full-year of double-digit growth in profits. Moreover, Kenya’s first green bond started trading on the Nairobi Securities Exchange for the first time. Reginald Kadzutu, Economic Analyst joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Kenya’s first green bond starts trading on the NSE

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<p>According to data, achieving universal access to water and sanitation for all by 2030, there needs to be increased investment in management of freshwater ecosystems and sanitation facilities on a local level in several developing countries within Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Henning Sandager, Area Managing Director at GRUNDFOS Sub-Saharan Africa joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


GRUNDFOS MD Sandager on how to solve water crisis in Africa

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<p>Are Nigerians paying too much for data? Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy seems to agree, as he says Nigerians are not enjoying the value for money spent on data. The minister has tasked the telecoms regulator NCC to resolve issues of illegal data deductions and review the price of data downwards in five days. Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo joins CNBC Africa for me more.</p>


Are Nigerians paying too much for data? Gbenga Adebayo explains


<p>By <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/alicia-adamczyk/">Alicia Adamczyk</a> </p>



<p>As online shopping heats up ahead of the holiday season, consumers should be aware of an increasingly common scam called “e-skimming,” the <a class="" href="https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/current-activity/2019/10/23/fbi-releases-article-defending-against-e-skimming">FBI warns</a>.</p>



<p>Skimming involves thieves installing devices in ATMs or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2015/11/24/use-of-credit-cards-skimmers-at-gas-stations-atms-is-exploding.html" class="">gas station credit card machines</a>&nbsp;that secretly record an unsuspecting user’s financial information as he or she enters it. In the electronic version, scammers edit JavaScript code and “capture the credit card data in real time as the user enters it,” per the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/portland/news/press-releases/oregon-fbi-tech-tuesday-building-a-digital-defense-agaist-e-skimming" class="">FBI’s announcement</a>.</p>



<p>That data is then sold to other malicious actors, or used by the scammer to buy things online. Small- and medium-sized retailers are most at risk of being targeted, per the FBI.</p>



<p>While the FBI and security experts make clear it’s primarily the responsibility of merchants to secure their sites and educate employees on the best cybersecurity practices, there are a number of measures anyone can take to help keep their financial information secure. Here are seven things you can do now.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">1. Use a virtual credit card</h2>



<p>Virtual credit cards are temporary numbers that allow you to use your real credit card without exposing your account information to a retailer’s website. You can use these only once, or however many times you choose.</p>



<p>If your information is skimmed or revealed in a data breach it’s okay; you won’t have to replace your real credit card, only close down the virtual card. You can create these virtual cards on&nbsp;<a href="https://privacy.com/virtual-card" class="">Privacy.com</a>, or on your&nbsp;<a href="https://www.americanexpress.com/us/payment-solutions/amex-go-virtual-cards/index.html" class="">card issuer’s website</a>.</p>



<p><a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/27/debit-cards-are-dangerous-warns-fraud-expert-and-ex-con-artist-frank-abagnale.html">Never use a debit card</a> when shopping online. Credit cards offer <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/17/when-to-use-a-debit-card-instead-of-a-credit-card.html">better protections for consumers</a>. Debit cards act essentially as cash, whereas if a thief uses your credit card, no money is actually taken from you.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">2. Pay using a third party</h2>



<p>Rick McElroy, principal security strategist at Carbon Black, a cybersecurity firm, tells&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/make-it/" class="">CNBC Make It</a>&nbsp;that if you’re not using a separate credit card for online purchases, it’s smart to pay through a third-party processor like PayPal or Venmo if the retailer’s site gives you that option.</p>



<p>If you use PayPal, for example, the online retailer never sees your information, says McElroy. “They see your email address, but other than that PayPal just sends a token that says the payment was made.” There’s no personal information to steal.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">3. Keep your tech updated</h2>



<p>Consumers should keep their internet browsers and phone and computer operating systems up-to-date, particularly at this time of year, McElroy says. He suggests everyone turn on the auto-updates on their personal tech.</p>



<p>“The attacks on retailers ramp up between Thanksgiving and the first of the year,” he says. “The vendors are already seeing it, so they are putting out continual updates.”</p>



<p>He also suggests installing secure browser plug-ins.&nbsp;<a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/sitejabber/" class="">SiteJabber</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/wot-safe-browsing-tool/" class="">Web of Trust</a>, for example, provide community-sourced security ratings for websites.&nbsp;<a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/https-everywhere/gcbommkclmclpchllfjekcdonpmejbdp?hl=en" class="">HTTPS Everywhere</a>&nbsp;ensures that the sites you visit are automatically encrypted and secure (when you’re browsing, you want site addresses to begin with “https://” as opposed to “http://”).</p>



<p>And if you’re shopping locally, go in person to make a purchase. Small retailers often do not have the resources to completely secure their sites.</p>



<p>“From a consumer perspective, stick to the major retailers. They do a pretty decent job of ensuring that stuff is protected,” says McElroy.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">4. Be careful with gift cards</h2>



<p>Scammers are now using the same tactics they use to steal credit card information to steal gift card balances, McElroy notes. Whereas you’d likely notice a mysterious credit card transaction or money missing from your checking account right away, that isn’t the case for gift cards.</p>



<p>“Who checks their gift card balances on a daily basis?” McElory says. “Thieves get a lot longer to hide.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">5. Watch out for phishing emails</h2>



<p>Emails from companies purporting to be Apple and Amazon, among others, abound during the holiday season, McElroy warns. Always double check for spelling and grammatical errors, and be weary of emails asking you to click certain links, which might be a phishing attack that gives scammers access to your financial information.</p>



<p>“Always be weary of incoming communications,” he says.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">6. Regularly monitor bank accounts</h2>



<p>With all of the sophisticated financial scams that abound these days, consumers are wise is to proactively protect their financial information.</p>



<p>Regularly check bank and credit card statements, and set up credit card and bank account withdrawal alerts. If you receive an alert about a purchase you did not make, immediately alert your bank and credit card issuer.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">7. Keep tabs on your credit report</h2>



<p>On top of your bank and credit card statements, you’ll want to regularly check your credit reports, as well. Though legally you can pull your reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion just once a year for free from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action" class="">AnnualCreditReport.com</a>, there are a variety of apps and other financial platforms that will now monitor your report for you, like Credit Karma. If you see something that’s amiss, you’ll want to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/14/how-to-remove-bad-marks-from-your-credit-report.html" class="">dispute it immediately</a>.</p>



<p>And if you regularly shop online, you may also consider freezing your credit reports to protect against an inevitable data breach at a site you’ve purchased something from. Here’s <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/30/capital-one-data-breach-5-things-to-do-if-you-were-affected.html">how to freeze and unfreeze your reports</a>.</p>



<p><em>This article first appeared on CNBC </em><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/29/how-to-protect-your-credit-card-info-from-e-skimmers.html"><em>https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/29/how-to-protect-your-credit-card-info-from-e-skimmers.html</em></a><em> and is republished with its permission.</em></p>


cybersecurity_shutterstock

7 ways to protect your financial information from online scammers

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<p>Nigeria&#8217;s President Muhammadu Buhari says some of the statistics by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank on Nigeria are wild estimates and bear little relation to the facts on the ground. For a focus on Nigeria’s economy and more, Oluseyi Akinbi, Director at Zedcrest Capital joins CNBC Africa.</p>


Oluseyi Akinbi on getting the right data on Nigeria’s economy

By <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/426983428?src=2Q7JrXi3WCG4DWKa7nAt5w-1-5&#038;size=medium_jpg">knyazevfoto/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jacqueline-hicks-780656">Jacqueline Hicks</a>, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-nottingham-1192">University of Nottingham</a></em></span>

<p>There is a global standoff going on about who stores your data. At the close of June’s G20 summit in Japan, a number of developing countries <a href="https://www.livemint.com/news/world/india-boycotts-osaka-track-at-g20-summit-1561897592466.html">refused to sign</a> an international declaration on data flows – the so-called Osaka Track. Part of the reason why countries such as India, Indonesia and South Africa boycotted the declaration was because they had no opportunity to put their own interests about data into the document. </p>

<p>With 50 other signatories, the declaration still stands as a statement of future intent to negotiate further, but the boycott represents an ongoing struggle by some countries to assert their claim over the data generated by their own citizens.</p>

<p>Back in the dark ages of 2016, data was touted as the new oil. Although the metaphor was quickly <a href="https://towardsdatascience.com/data-is-not-the-new-oil-721f5109851b">debunked</a> it’s still a helpful way to understand the global digital economy. Now, as international negotiations over data flows intensify, the oil comparison helps explain the economics of what’s called “data localisation” – the bid to keep citizens’ data within their own country.</p>

<p>Just as oil-producing nations pushed for oil refineries to add value to crude oil, so governments today want the world’s Big Tech companies to build data centres on their own soil. The cloud that powers much of the world’s tech industry is grounded in vast data centres located mainly around northern Europe and the US coasts. Yet, at the same time, US Big Tech companies are increasingly turning to markets in the global south for expansion as enormous numbers of young tech savvy populations come online. </p>

<h2>Accusations of ‘digital imperalism’</h2>

<p>Take, for example, the case of Facebook. While India is the country with the biggest amount of Facebook users, when you look at the <a href="https://www.datacenters.com/providers/facebook">location of Facebook’s 15 data centres</a>, ten are in North America, four in Europe and one in Asia – in Singapore. </p>

<figure class="align-center ">
            <img decoding="async" alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/294172/original/file-20190925-51405-fwjrkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/294172/original/file-20190925-51405-fwjrkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=525&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294172/original/file-20190925-51405-fwjrkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=525&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294172/original/file-20190925-51405-fwjrkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=525&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294172/original/file-20190925-51405-fwjrkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=660&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294172/original/file-20190925-51405-fwjrkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=660&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294172/original/file-20190925-51405-fwjrkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=660&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
            <figcaption>
              <span class="caption">Countries with the most Facebook users in 2019.</span>
              <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/268136/top-15-countries-based-on-number-of-facebook-users/">We Are Social, DataReportal, Hootsuite, Facebook via Statista</a></span>
            </figcaption>
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<p>This disconnect between new sources of data and the location of data centres has <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Companies/QMZDxbCufK3O2dJE4xccyI/Indias-data-must-be-controlled-by-Indians-not-by-global-co.html">led to accusations</a> from countries such as India of “data colonisation” and <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/digital-colonialism-threatening-global-south-190129140828809.html">“digital colonialism”</a>.</p>

<p>The economic argument for countries in the global south to host more data centres is that it would boost digital industrialisation by creating competitive advantages for local cloud companies, and develop links to other parts of the local IT sector.</p>

<p>Many <a href="http://siba-ese.unisalento.it/index.php/paco/article/view/19553/16635">countries</a> have flirted with regulations on what sort of data should be stored locally. Some cover only certain sectors such as health data in Australia. Others, such as South Korea, require the consent of the person associated with the data for it to be transmitted overseas. France continues to pursue its own data centre infrastructure, dubbed “le cloud souverain”, despite the closure of some of the <a href="https://www.rudebaguette.com/2019/08/cloudwatt-orange-cloud-souverain-fin/">businesses initially behind the idea</a>. The most comprehensive laws are in China and Russia, which mandate localisation across multiple sectors for many kinds of personal data.</p>

<p>Countries such as India and Indonesia with their massive and growing online populations arguably have the most to gain economically from such regulations as they currently receive the least data infrastructure investment from the tech giants relative to the number of users.</p>

<h2>The economics aren’t clear cut</h2>

<p>Supporters of data localisation cite developing countries’ structural dependency on foreign-owned digital infrastructure and an unfair share of the industry’s economic benefits. They dream of using data localisation to force tech companies into becoming permanent entities on home soil to eventually increase the amount of taxes they can impose on them. </p>

<p>Detractors point to the high business costs of local servers, not just for the tech giants, but also for the very digital start ups that governments say they want to encourage. They say localisation regulations interfere with global innovation, are difficult to enforce, and ignore the technical requirements of data centres: proximity to the internet’s “backbone” of fibre optic cables, a stable supply of electricity, and low temperature air or water for cooling the giant servers.</p>

<figure class="align-center ">
            <img decoding="async" alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/294335/original/file-20190926-51438-1lah43t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/294335/original/file-20190926-51438-1lah43t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294335/original/file-20190926-51438-1lah43t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294335/original/file-20190926-51438-1lah43t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294335/original/file-20190926-51438-1lah43t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294335/original/file-20190926-51438-1lah43t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294335/original/file-20190926-51438-1lah43t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
            <figcaption>
              <span class="caption">Data: how much is it worth?</span>
              <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/artistic-blurred-binary-numbers-data-travel-544111558?src=Bjwb083uwwYnsgSFI2-Huw-1-2">Robsonphoto/Shutterstock</a></span>
            </figcaption>
          </figure>

<p>Attempts to measure the economic impact of localisation are extremely partisan. The <a href="https://www.econstor.eu/handle/10419/174726">most cited study</a> from 2014 uses an opaque methodology and was produced by the <a href="https://ecipe.org/">European Centre for International Political Economy</a>, a free trade think-tank based in Brussels, some of whose funding comes from unknown <a href="https://thecorrespondent.com/3884/big-business-orders-its-pro-ttip-arguments-from-these-think-tanks/179184456-59671a10">multinational businesses</a>. Not surprisingly, it finds gross losses for countries considering localisation. Yet, a <a href="https://baxtel.com/data-center/facebook/files/facebook_data_centers_2018">2018 study</a> commissioned by Facebook found that its data centre spending in the US had created tens of thousands of jobs, supported renewable energy investments and contributed US$5.8 billion to US GDP in just six years.</p>

<p>Like the equivalent arguments for and against free trade, taking a dogmatic position for or against the issue masks other complexities on the ground. The economic costs and benefits depend on the type of data stored, whether it’s a duplicate or the only copy, the level of government support for wider infrastructure subsidies, to name just a few factors. </p>

<p>India has been the most vocal supporter for localisation, promoting its own regulation as “<a href="https://meity.gov.in/writereaddata/files/Data_Protection_Committee_Report.pdf">a template for the developing world</a>”, but it’s in a strong position to do so given the country’s relatively advanced digital industrialisation and technical manpower. Other emerging economies with large online populations, such as Indonesia, have vacillated on their localisation regulations under pressure from the US government which has threatened <a href="https://inet.detik.com/law-and-policy/d-4318420/revisi-pp-pste-diduga-sarat-tekanan-asing">to pull preferential trade terms</a> for other goods and services if they went ahead with restrictive regulations.</p>

<h2>What governments do with the data</h2>

<p>While the international economics of personal data may follow some of the same general dynamics as oil production, data is fundamentally different from oil because it does a double duty – providing not just monetary value to businesses, but also surveillance opportunities for governments. Some civil society activists I’ve met as part of my research in India and Indonesia told me they were sceptical of their own governments’ narratives about data colonialism, worrying instead about the increased access to sensitive personal information that localisation gives to governments.</p>

<p>It’s not just large corporations and states that have roles to play in this bid for “data sovereignty”. Tech developers may yet find ways to support the rights of individuals to control their own personal data with platforms such as <a href="http://www.databoxproject.uk">databox</a>, which gives each of us something akin to our own personal servers. These technologies are still in development, but <a href="https://www.decodeproject.eu/pilots">projects</a> are springing up – mostly around Europe – that not only give people greater control over their personal data, but aim to produce social value rather than profit. Such experiments may yet find a place in the developing world alongside what states and large corporations are doing.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/123048/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" /></p>

<p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jacqueline-hicks-780656">Jacqueline Hicks</a>, Marie-Curie Skłodowska Fellow, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-nottingham-1192">University of Nottingham</a></em></span></p>

<p>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/digital-colonialism-why-some-countries-want-to-take-control-of-their-peoples-data-from-big-tech-123048">original article</a>.</p>

‘Digital colonialism’: Here’s why some countries are considering taking control of their people’s data from Big Tech companies

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<p>Data, research and most importantly big data have become focal points for conversations on the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the future of work. As we look ahead to the World Economic Forum in Cape Town, Managing Director of Hepta Analytics, Victoria Munguti joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


The role of Big Data in Africa’s growth

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<p>The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) is set to hold its Annual Market Data workshop in a bid to raise awareness on the role of data in bridging the information gap between the Exchange and market participants. To discuss the expectations for this year’s event, Olufemi Balogun, Head of Market Services at the NSE joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Data dubbed the ‘new oil’ of the financial industry in Nigeria’s equities market

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<p>Despite significant economic growth in Africa, there’s minimal improvement of lives primarily because the continent lags behind in terms of financial inclusion. To discuss how smarter use of data can help drive up financial inclusion, Hennie Bester, Lead at the Insight2Impact joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


How smarter use of data can improve financial inclusion

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<p>With many of the issues that one is facing with the fast approaching 4th industrial revolution, data is one that many in South Africa can relate too. biNu has created a Data free campaign which is based on the concept of reverse billing and lessens the burden on mobile users accessing websites. biNu CEO, Stephen Newton is, former Head of Google South Africa and has recently entered into a partnership with MTN South Africa for his biNu venture. He joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


biNu and MTN SA invent reverse billing concept to curb data costs for South Africans

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<p>Data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that the Nigerian manufacturing sector contributed about 864 billion naira of the 3.63 trillion naira generated as Value Added Tax between, 2013 to 2018; meanwhile, what can Buhari’s new administration do to boost the sector? Ugochukwu Irechukwu, Divisional Head, Institutional Banking at Diamond Bank joins CNBC Africa to discuss this.</p>


What can Buhari’s new administration do to boost manufacturing sector?

<p>By Sabine Dall’Omo, CEO for Siemens Southern and Eastern Africa</p>
<p>The value of data coupled with connected infrastructure and industrial ecosystems offers Africa a remarkable opportunity to create smart factories of the future. Data will be at the heart of reinvigorating Africa’s industrial prowess, creating new industries and an entirely new set of jobs that previously did not exist.</p>
<p>Historically, Africa’s growth has been defined by its abundance in natural and mineral resources but digitalization will change this. It will tip the scales of Africa’s economic outlook more towards exports emanating from the manufacturing sector, with the textile vertical being the prime example. Developing factories of the future will boost Africa’s GDP and catapult its international competitiveness by merging both the physical and virtual worlds. The future will now be defined by how Africa harnesses its manufacturing potential and how it moves the industrial revolution forward.</p>
<p>The continent’s unique identity and extraordinary sense of creativity could be what puts us on the global map. The Afro-inspired design revolution taking shape is an opportunity to take our ingenuity to the world, and with skills development the continent will see a new industry emerge. The combination of smart hardware and intelligent software could help position Johannesburg, Nairobi or Lagos as the next design capital of the world.</p>
<p>The Siemens FABRIC showcase, launched at the end of August, is a testament to the talent Africa holds. Told through the universal language of fashion, FABRIC was a powerful project that demonstrated how data combined with technology could transform African cities. Three iconic African fashion designers (John Kaveke, Zizi Cardow and Palesa Mokubung) created one-of-kind outfits weaving in data extracted from these three African cities to tell a unique story about each of them. These are the kind of edgy collections that have gained the attention and admiration of the international fashion community, taking all three designers to renowned fashion shows across the world. But despite recognition on the global catwalk, the economic output from the apparel industry in Africa has not been grand in the last few years. However through digitalization, Africa’s dynamic fashion sense could become a global hit.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Urbanization</strong></p>
<p>As urbanization rapidly increases, so too does the demand in products and services. In the last few years, manufacturers have had to shorten throughput times to keep up with the increasing trend of individualised mass production and at the same time reduce their energy and raw material consumption. Now is the time for manufacturers to relook at rising production costs and determine how to safeguard their competitiveness.</p>
<p>As connectivity changes the world and how we communicate, the manufacturing industry will also need to adapt. Transforming into factories of the future will be a smart step because intelligent machines will effectively respond to changing market and customer needs, and enable manufacturers to pick up on inefficiencies quickly. The industrial internet of things (IIOT) will be the foundation of production, ensuring machine to machine communication and automation while real-time data boosts productivity and revenue. Digitalization will transform workforces and contribute to the entire value chain while ensuring safe, reliable operations.</p>
<p>According to a Frost &amp; Sullivan White Paper by the Manufacturing Leadership Council, the manufacturing industry will look completely different in the next 10 to 15 years as industries become high-tech engines of mass customization.</p>
<p>“Highly automated and information-intensive, the factory of tomorrow will look like an integrated hardware and software system…fuelled by vast quantities of information from every corner of the enterprise and beyond, moderated by analytical systems that can identify and extract insights and opportunities from that information, and comprise of intelligent machines that learn, act, and work alongside highly skilled human beings.”</p>
<p>Through research and insights, Siemens acknowledges the vast potential and possibilities for Africa’s future through manufacturing and has already been hard at work creating technologies for smart factories. It has created flexible, modular, economic automation and drive solutions to help industries transform easily. Its single-source solution maximises production and minimises downtime and has the capability to cover all facets of a textile plant from the production of chemical fibres and yarn to spinning, fabric manufacturing and finishing. It’s cost-effectiveness in configuration and commissioning makes it a manufacturer’s dream. Industrialisation will additionally bridge the gap between blue and white collar workers creating an upskilled workforce termed ‘grey-collar’ workers. This dynamic and developed staff contingent will be able to execute their duties with ease in the digital economy, alongside machines.</p>
<p>This transformation will push the continent onto another level that amplifies GDP, while creating a smarter Africa for all. The role of data architecture in this metamorphosis cannot be magnified enough, and with the exponential value of industrialization, Africa’s development could be fast tracked to tip the scales of its economic potential. The only element left will be active collaboration between government, regulators, business and society.</p>


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data

BlueChip Technologies holds maiden Data & AI Summit

Making Africa’s leading entertainment company’s data and analytics agile, scalable and future-proof

How to improve access to quality data in Africa

Kenya’s Safaricom sees 70% jump in data usage during COVID-19 lockdown

South Africa’s telecoms company Telkom could cut 3,000 jobs -letter to unions

Kenya’s first green bond starts trading on the NSE

GRUNDFOS MD Sandager on how to solve water crisis in Africa

Are Nigerians paying too much for data? Gbenga Adebayo explains

7 ways to protect your financial information from online scammers

Oluseyi Akinbi on getting the right data on Nigeria’s economy

‘Digital colonialism’: Here’s why some countries are considering taking control of their people’s data from Big Tech companies

The role of Big Data in Africa’s growth

Data dubbed the ‘new oil’ of the financial industry in Nigeria’s equities market

How smarter use of data can improve financial inclusion

biNu and MTN SA invent reverse billing concept to curb data costs for South Africans

What can Buhari’s new administration do to boost manufacturing sector?

OpEd: How to transform Africa’s manufacturing industry through data

News Tips

Advertise With Us

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