Smart Africa, Certa Foundation Sign MoU

Smart Africa and the Certa Foundation have united under a Memorandum of Understand (MoU). Designed to help African countries build stronger rules, policies, and regulatory systems for AI and other technologies, it will support the continent’s use of AI to support innovation, industry, and economic growth.

The Certa Foundation, a Rwanda-based pan-African non-profit organisation with a vision to contribute to a more just and equitable society, and the Smart Africa Alliance is a bold commitment by African Heads of State and government, makes for a formidable partnership. Uniting the latter’s 42 member states and 50+ private-sector and development partners, the MoU builds on Certa Foundation’s work.

Lacina Koné, Director General and CEO of Smart Africa said, “Digital transformation cannot succeed without strong governance. Through this partnership with Certa Foundation, Smart Africa is strengthening Africa’s capacity to design policies and regulatory frameworks that will shape our digital future. From AI governance to innovations like data embassies, Africa must build the institutions and expertise needed to secure its digital sovereignty and compete in the global digital economy.”

The Foundation’s perspective on innovative governance, including its seminal position paper on Data Embassies (2025), is multifaceted. It is also a mechanism addressing the continent’s longstanding digital infrastructure deficit, expertise in gender inclusivity, mentoring and advocacy, and commitment to training and capacity development of African regulators, policymakers and justice actors.

Florida Kabasinga, Founder and Executive Director of Certa Foundation, added that “Our strategic partnership with Smart Africa is a huge step in the journey to digital sovereignty. The research we published on Data Embassies was a starting point on our roadmap. This joint-effort partnership is where that work becomes real. Africa does not need to wait for someone else to build its digital future.”

Under this partnership, both organisations will deliver targeted technical support for policymakers, regulators, and public institutions while cultivating a new pipeline of youth policymakers across Africa.

The collaboration will focus on policy interventions and research to inform high-level decision-making, with a mandate to build a robust, inclusive regulatory ecosystem by co-hosting strategic consultations with pan-African stakeholders and providing mentorship to innovators under the Smart Women and Girls in ICT initiative.

This partnership intends to speed up practical pilot projects that can show what good AI and technology policy looks like in Africa. The goal is to help build better regulations, boost the digital economy, give Africa a competitive global edge, and support safe and ethical AI that benefits even more people.

The agreement is also the start of a longer-term effort to help African countries learn from each other and find innovative ways to address the continent’s unique challenges around control over data, technology, and digital systems.