S7 E11: Guarding Democracy in the Digital Age: The Push for Data Justice in Africa
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Show notes
In conversation with Guy Berger
This episode of Africa Rights Talk is guest-hosted by Ivy Gikonyo from the Centre for Human Rights, who steps in for the regular host to guide an insightful conversation with Professor Guy Berger, a veteran in media freedom and digital governance, unpacks how the Africa Alliance for Access to Data was born out of election-related risks in South Africa and the urgent need to monitor online disinformation, attacks on journalists, and manipulation of public discourse. He traces the shift from access to information laws towards the demand for raw data as a public good, highlighting the dangers of opaque big tech practices, data exploitation, and Africa’s precarious position in the global artificial intelligence ecosystem. The conversation situates data at the intersection of power, accountability, and rights making clear that without robust governance, Africa risks sliding further into digital dependency and vulnerability.
But the discussion is not just about challenges; it is also about hope and action. Prof. Berger emphasizes the role of the Alliance in pushing landmark African Commission resolutions, supporting the drafting of concrete guidelines on data governance, and mobilizing a diverse ecosystem of civil society, media, academics, and regulators. With inspiring examples from Uber’s data-sharing in Lagos to resolutions mandating private sector accountability he shows how access to data can advance democracy, gender equality, consumer rights, and economic inclusion. Ultimately, the episode is a call to collective action: for Africans to reclaim agency over their data, challenge extractive global systems, and ensure that data becomes a tool for justice, empowerment, and sustainable development rather than exploitation.
Prof. Guy Berger is a South African media scholar, journalist, and former editor at the Mail & Guardian, where he was a longstanding columnist shaping public debate on media freedom and democracy. He headed the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University, where he mentored a generation of African journalists. From 2011 to 2022, he served as Director for Freedom of Expression and Media Development at UNESCO, leading global work on internet governance, journalist safety, elections, and combating disinformation. Berger has been a Research Fellow with Research ICT Africa and continues to advise governments, civil society, and multilateral bodies on digital governance and access to information. He currently convenes the Africa Alliance for Access to Data, championing data as a public good and a foundation for democracy and human rights across the continent.
This conversation was recorded on July 31 2025.
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