Advancing EU–Africa Digital Partnerships amid Growing Geopolitical Competition

Africa’s digital transformation is reshaping its economies and societies, offering immense opportunities for connectivity, innovation, and growth. This rapid evolution is taking place against a backdrop of intensifying geopolitical competition, with global powers – notably China, the European Union, and the United States – vying to shape Africa’s digital future. Through its Global Gateway initiative, the EU seeks to position itself as a key partner, offering a values-based approach rooted in openness, fairness, and sustainability, clearly differentiating itself from other powers such as China’s state-led and the US’s private sector-driven strategies in Africa. This study analyses Africa’s digital landscape in three key areas: infrastructure, innovation ecosystems, and governance. It highlights the different approaches and activities of China, the EU, and the US, identifying opportunities for deeper EU–Africa digital partnerships in each of these areas. Finally, it also offers actionable recommendations on how to enhance mutually beneficial cooperation in line with the EU’s comparative strengths vis-à-vis other global powers.