NCA Strengthens Regional Partnerships and Data Governance at Africa Tech Festival 2025

NCA delegation led by the Director of Research and Planning, Eng. Chol Joseph Mayen, during the Africa Tech engagement.

A delegation led by the Director of Research and Planning, Eng Chol Joseph Mayen, participated in the highly anticipated Africa Tech Festival 2025 in Cape Town on November 11^th - 13^th 2025.

The festival under the theme "Responsible Innovation, Inclusive Investment, Connectivity for Development and Policy Harmonization,” attracted more than 15,000 attendees from 130 countries. Technology corporations, policymakers and AI start-ups all played a key role on this platform, bridging African markets with international partners and exploring solutions driving the continent’s digital transformation.

Through various engagements with potential partners, NCA centered discussions on 

affordable, high-quality fiber optic infrastructure for underserved areas and took part in thought-provoking conversations on data protection mechanisms. The primary focus was to deepen regional regulatory collaborations and draw strategic insights to inform future policies.

A key theme throughout the Tech festival was the urgency of strengthening data protection frameworks, which served as foundational guardrails to secure cross-border collaboration. As Africa witnesses rapid technological advancement, the need to safeguard personal data and ensure responsible data flows has become paramount. For South Sudan, the enactment of a comprehensive data protection framework remains a national priority, opening pathways for innovation and regional integration.

NCA’s Assistant Director for Cybersecurity, Eng. Unguec Stephen is a member of the East African Community (EAC) Technical Working Group on Cybersecurity, Privacy and Data protection. He took part in a high-level panel titled: “Staying Ahead of 

Cloud Compliance, Managing Data Sovereignty and Cross-Border Risks”. The panel featured technical experts from the banking, telecom and health sectors exploring the growing volume of personal data handled by institutions across the continent.

During the session, Eng. Stephen underscored the importance of data harmonization across Africa. He highlighted how countries with limited critical infrastructure or connectivity gaps can leverage innovative solutions such as data embassies. “Countries can store their data abroad without compromising sovereignty” he explained. “By applying strong data protection frameworks, they can ensure their digital assets remain secure, protected and governed by their own laws.”

He further emphasized on achieving long-term data harmonization through the existing economic blocs, i.e. East Africa Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) calling for a multi-stakeholder approach.

“We need to embark on public, private legislation-led drafting that encourages the private sector and other stakeholders to be involved to promote inclusivity and innovation when drafting the data framework bill.”

Challenges still remain with countries adopting different data laws and privacy policies often creating legal obstacles. Poor data quality undermines trust and diminishes the value of harmonization datasets. The conversations allowed Africa to have a discourse and providesolutions to mitigate these problems and forge a way forward.

Through active participation, the NCA continues to position South Sudan within Africa’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, strengthening partnerships and ensuring the country remains engaged in shaping the future of ICT, cybersecurity and data governance.