Developing an Interactive Digital Economy Index for Africa

Developing an Interactive Digital Economy Index for Africa

The Smart Africa Alliance, with support from GIZ, has developed the Digital Economy Index (DEI) - an interactive, nationally owned tool that helps African countries systematically measure their digital economy progress. Unlike global comparative indices, the DEI is built on context-specific African data, giving each country a structured framework to track its own trajectory and identify the specific gaps blocking digital transformation.

Africa's digital economy is growing rapidly, with mobile money, e-government, and tech startup ecosystems expanding across the continent. Yet measurement has lagged behind momentum. This course equips government officials with the conceptual, technical, and institutional knowledge to make the DEI a durable, nationally owned planning tool - not a donor project that fades when funding ends.

Learning Outcomes

• Explain the rationale for a Digital Economy Index and distinguish it from global comparative indices.
• Identify the six sub-indices of the DEI and describe what each one measures.
• Apply Power BI dashboard views to analyse DEI data across countries and years.
• Design a data stewardship governance structure for managing national DEI data.
• Evaluate the quality requirements that nationally supplied datasets must meet.
• Recommend how governments can take financial, institutional, and technical ownership of the DEI.

Who is this course for?

• Government officials and civil servants responsible for digital economy policy
• Data officers and statisticians in national statistics agencies
• ICT ministry staff involved in digital transformation programmes
• Smart Africa member country representatives
• Development partners supporting digital economy measurement in Africa

Developed by the Smart Africa Alliance with support from GIZ. Based on the DEI framework developed for African member countries. For more information, visit smartafrica.org.