Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Africa and ranks as the tenth-largest population in the world. Ethiopia has made significant investments in data-driven initiatives to achieve a knowledge-based economy. Digital Ethiopia 2025 is a comprehensive document developed by the government that provides guidelines for leveraging digital technologies for the transformation of the Ethiopian economy into one that is inclusive, secure, and positioned to thrive. This strategy document outlines a clear implementation plan, relying on stakeholder expertise, increased investments in technology, and subsequent monitoring and evaluation that aligns this strategy with Ethiopia’s development ambitions. 

Egypt’s young and vibrant population has the potential to play a pivotal role in the digital transformation initiative of the Arab Republic. Adolescents and youth account for about one-third of the over 100 million Egyptian population, providing a potentially favourable demographic for rapid digital development. The Egyptian government recognises this potential and is introducing strategies and developments to realise a “D igital Egypt”. For example, the Information and Communication Technology Strategy 2030 ( ICT 2030) is expected to focus on improving public service delivery through e-governance initiatives, developing capacity and digital literacy, and improving research and innovation by encouraging collaborative efforts by public and private organisations. ICT is recognised as the fastest-growing sector in Egypt and contributed about 5.8 percent to GDP in the past year. Although these are steps in the right direction, more work needs to be done for digital development to reach the desired state in Egypt.

The resource-rich but landlocked Southern African Republic of Zambia is a country whose population is sparsely distributed across its relatively large land mass but concentrated in urbanised areas. Zambia’s digital landscape is evolving, presenting both advancements and challenges to achieving comprehensive digital transformation. As of 2021, about 21 percent of the 20 million Zambian citizens were actively using the internet.

Cameroon, a country in Central Africa with a per capita income of around $1,564, has a population of over 28.65 million. At the outset of 2022, Cameroon boasted 10.05 million internet users, representing 36.5 percent of the country's population. By the start of 2023, this figure had surged to 12.89 million, substantially increasing to 45.6 percent of the population. However, with over 37 percent of the population living below the poverty line, low incomes and affordability issues pose barriers to further digital inclusion.

The Republic of Chad, situated in Central Africa, ranked among the least economically and technologically developed countries in Africa. Chad's performance on CSEA’s Africa digital preparedness index, is notably weak, with a score of 0.32. This places Chad at the bottom of the ranking among the 38 African countries reviewed. Possible contributors include the lack of adequate infrastructure, the exorbitant costs of internet access and digital tools, and limited efforts in promoting digital literacy.