The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, convened a two-day virtual Symposium on Privacy and Data Protection in Africa on the 22nd and 23rd October 2025. The Symposium that was hosted by the Expression, Information and Digital Rights Unit, convened over 50 participants, including data protection authorities, scholars, students, legal practitioners, policymakers, and researchers from across Africa and beyond. The symposium was convened against the backdrop that protection of privacy and personal data in the fast growing digitalizing world is one of the most pressing human rights challenges of the 21st century. Further, digital transformation is growing through online service delivery, artificial intelligence, and e-governance which pose both opportunities and threats such as data breaches and surveillance among others, underscoring the need for sustained and inclusive discourse on the subject.
The Symposium followed a call for abstracts that culminated in the submission of draft book chapters. It thus served as a platform for authors to present and receive initial feedback on their work, while facilitating engagement and dialogue on privacy and data protection in Africa. More broadly, the Symposium sought to generate high-quality, evidence-based scholarship to inform national and regional policymaking and to promote collaboration and knowledge exchange among African researchers, practitioners, and policymakers committed to advancing digital rights and responsible data governance.
The symposium opened with a keynote address by Prof Sizwe Lindelo Snail KaMtuze who spoke on emerging legal responsibilities and opportunities for the African legal fraternity in the age of data protection. He highlighted the growing interconnectedness of individuals; the increasing significance of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things; and their implications on data protection on the continent. s He concluded his remarks by emphasising the need to advance African-led scholarship to strengthen the body of data protection law and practice in Africa.
This was followed by a reflection from Prof Lukman Abdulrauf on the state of academic research on privacy and data protection across the continent. He emphasised the importance of building a comprehensive understanding of the continent’s data privacy landscape. Dr. Lukman reflected on his experience as an editor of a previous publication: Data Privacy Law in Africa: Emerging Perspectives and discussed the evolution and motivations behind scholarly work in this field; emerging research; the future trajectory of data privacy scholarship in Africa. Prof Lukman commended the Centre for Human Rights for fostering collaboration among African scholars and building a vibrant research community dedicated to advancing privacy and data protection.
The deliberations by the fifteen authors were structured around four major themes, each unpacking various dimensions of privacy and data protection in Africa: (1) legal frameworks and national approaches; (2) enforcement and oversight; (3) cross-border and regional dynamics; and (4) geopolitics, sovereignty, and surveillance. Discussions revealed that the effectiveness of data protection regimes hinges on several interrelated factors: the strength and independence of enforcement institutions, public awareness and public awareness on privacy rights, and the capacity of data protection authorities to implement the law effectively. Participants underscored the importance of establishing mutual recognition mechanisms to facilitate the secure movement of data across jurisdictions while upholding privacy standards, ensuring independent oversight of surveillance practices, and advancing digital sovereignty that prioritizes human rights and local innovation.
The symposium concluded with a strong call to action and a shared commitment to sustained collaboration among CSOs, scholars, regulators, and practitioners. The peer-reviewed research papers presented during the Symposium will culminate in a forthcoming edited volume on Privacy and Data Protection in Africa, contributing evidence-based policy recommendations to guide the implementation of national, regional, and continental data protection frameworks.
For more information, please contact:
Hlengiwe Dube
Manager: Expression, Information and Digital Rights Unit
hlengiwe.dube@up.ac.za
Michael Aboneka
Project Officer: Expression, Information, and Digital Rights Unit
michael.aboneka@up.ac.za