30 African nations feature in global Network Readiness Index 2024 - Mauritius ranks highest, and Seychelles debuts with an extraordinary result

30 African nations feature in global Network Readiness Index 2024 - Mauritius ranks highest, and Seychelles debuts with an extraordinary result

Mauritius leads the African nations in its access to, and use of, information and communications technology (ICT), the 2024 Network Readiness Index (NRI), published by Portulans Institute and Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, has shown. The country ranked 60th globally.

Notably, the small Island nation of the Seychelles has debuted in this year’s ranking, impressively placing second globally in Mobile App Development, though this result reflects both its strengths and the impact of GDP PPP scaling in smaller economies.

The NRI is one of the leading global indices on the application and impact of ICT in economies across the world. In this latest version, ‘Building a Digital Tomorrow: Public-Private Investments and Global Collaboration for Digital Readiness’, the NRI Report maps the network-based readiness landscape of 133 economies on their performances across four pillars: Technology, People, Governance, and Impact, with each pillar comprised of three sub-pillars, and a further 54 variables.

Mauritius scores highly in digitally connected Businesses (23rd) and in SDG Contribution (23rd) and does particularly well in E-commerce legislation (1st), the number of VC deals in AI (7th) Regulatory Quality (27th), Cybersecurity (23rd), and performance. It also shows strengths in addressing Rural Gap in use of Digital Payments (43rd) and Socioeconomic Gap in use of Digital Payments (49th). Significant opportunities remain in the Digital Content (87th), and its overall performance in digitalisation of Governments (84th) suggesting room for improvement in public sector digital transformation.

Seychelles (71st globally) comes in second across Africa, in its first NRI appearance. It excels in the Content sub-pillar, securing the 17th position, and demonstrates strong performance in Digitally Advanced Businesses (33rd). As a small island country, it performs exceptionally well in specific technological areas, reaching top ranks in Internet access in schools, Internet domain registrations, and the number of VC deals in AI, while also achieving its second place in Mobile Apps Development. However, while these achievements are commendable, the scale of its economy tends to amplify these outputs.

Professor Soumitra Dutta, Co-founder and President of Portulans Institute, Co-editor of the NRI, and Dean of Saïd Business School, University of Oxford said:
‘As digital transformation accelerates, the NRI 2024 highlights the essential role of public- private partnerships in building the foundations for digital readiness. By working together, governments, businesses, and civil society can create robust frameworks of governance, stability, and trust that enable technology to reach its full potential in enhancing social and economic well-being. The findings emphasize the interdependence of policy, innovation, and societal impact, helping to chart a path towards a resilient digital ecosystem.’

The 2024 NRI has also introduced Sierra Leone (129th) to the rankings. Meanwhile, Eswatini, Gambia, Guinea have fallen off this year’s list.

South Africa and Kenya placed in 72nd and 73rd.
Africa has the highest number of economies (20) surpassing digital readiness expectations in at least one core area, with 14 countries performing well in Governance. Rwanda and Kenya excel across all four dimensions, while Ghana, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Senegal, Tanzania, and Burundi demonstrate strength in three core areas.

South Africa, ranking third in the region, displays a mixed profile in digital readiness with notable strengths in the digitalisation of Businesses (34th) and in the E-commerce legislation (1st). South Africa's results in Public Cloud Computing Market Scale (23rd) and Annual Investment in Telecommunication Services (24th) are particularly impressive. It also demonstrates strength in Computer Software Spending (28th), yet displays opportunities in Digital Inclusion (65th), specifically with regards to Socioeconomic Gap in use of Digital Payments (68th).

A persistent digital divide continues to affect African nations. WIth clear exceptions, like Rwanda's strong performance in Government Promotion of Digital Technologies (23rd), many Sub-Saharan African countries seem to continue struggle with basic digital infrastructure and skills development. This divide is particularly evident in countries like Uganda (118th), Malawi (119th), and Chad (130th).

Reflecting on this year’s NRI, Bruno Lanvin, co-editor of NRI, said:
‘Data is not the new oil. It is the new air. In all parts of the world, both the private and public sector strive to be ready for a global digital economy that is neither fully charted nor consistently governed yet. In such a fluid context, tools like the Network Readiness Index, which provide definitive metrics, will be a necessary condition to make the right decisions.’
The top performers in the NRI consistently display three significant trends: they are primarily high-income nations, they exhibit strong network readiness across all dimensions and are in the Western or Scandinavian parts of Europe, albeit the United States of America leads this year global table, for the third consecutive year.

ENDS
Notes to editors:
The Network Readiness Index
Origins of the NRI: Initially launched in 2002 by the World Economic Forum, the NRI has been redesigned in 2019 by its founders and co-editors, Soumitra Dutta and Bruno Lanvin, to reflect how technology and people need to be integrated within an effective governance structure in order to have the right impact on our economy, society and the environment. This 2024 edition marks the sixth edition of the redesigned model of the NRI.

The NRI model recognises the pervasiveness of digital technologies in today’s networked world and therefore rests on four fundamental dimensions: Technology, People, Governance, and Impact. This holistic approach means that the NRI covers issues ranging from future technologies such as AI and Internet of Things (IoT) to the role of digital transformation in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

About the NRI: The 2024 NRI is the sixth edition of a renewed NRI model, and it ranks a total of 133 economies based on their performance across 54 variables.

The 2023 edition of the NRI is published in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and the Brazilian National Confederation of Industry (CNI)

About Portulans Institute (PI): Founded in 2019 by Soumitra Dutta and Bruno Lanvin, Portulans Institute is an independent nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational institute based in Washington DC. PI’s areas of expertise include technology competitiveness, innovation readiness, and global talent.
Learn more at https://portulansinstitute.org/.

About Saïd Business School: Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford is a vibrant and innovative business school, embedded within a 900-year-old world leading university. We create programmes and ideas that have global impact and reach. We educate leaders, change makers and innovators across every industry and sector. Our groundbreaking research and exceptional teaching transforms individuals, who transform businesses, which transforms the world. We create ïmpact from within. www.sbs.ox.ac.uk

Contacts for Press: Portulans Institute: info@portulansinstitute.org
For further information, including interview requests, please contact rosy.cobb@sbs.ox.ac.uk, media manager at Saïd Business School.