The East African Community (EAC) has taken a significant step towards building a unified digital economy by advancing a regional framework that will allow the secure movement of data across borders, a development expected to strengthen trade, financial services, innovation and digital public services across the region.
Data protection experts from all EAC Partner States are meeting in Dar es Salaam from June 23 to 27 to validate the proposed Regional Framework for Secure Cross-Border Data Flows, an initiative aimed at harmonising data governance across East Africa while protecting privacy and strengthening trust in digital transactions.
The framework comes at a time when East Africa is experiencing rapid digital transformation, with millions of citizens relying daily on mobile money, e-commerce, digital government platforms, telemedicine and online education—all of which depend on the secure transfer of data across national borders.
Opening the five-day workshop, EAC Deputy Secretary General for Customs, Trade and Monetary Affairs, Annette Ssemuwemba, said cross-border data flows have become a critical pillar of regional integration and economic growth.
“Cross-border data flows are no longer a technical or niche regulatory concern. They are central infrastructure for regional trade, financial services, digital public services and health systems across the East African Community,” Ssemuwemba said.
She noted that although many East Africans may not realise it, data crosses borders every time they make a mobile money payment, shop online, access government services digitally, attend virtual classes or consult healthcare professionals remotely.
“If we want these services to be secure, affordable and accessible, we must create a trusted framework that allows data to move safely across the region,” she added.
According to the EAC, secure and seamless data transfers are becoming increasingly important as businesses expand across borders and governments digitise essential services. Mobile money providers process millions of transactions daily using cross-border data systems, while digital identity platforms and technology firms rely on regional data to combat fraud, improve supply chains and expand financial inclusion.
However, despite growing digital connectivity, differing national data protection laws continue to present major challenges.
Several EAC Partner States have enacted data protection legislation and established regulatory authorities, but differences in legal requirements, supervisory mechanisms and enforcement practices have increased compliance costs and created uncertainty for businesses operating in multiple countries.
The burden is particularly heavy for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), many of which lack the financial and technical capacity to comply with multiple regulatory regimes. Studies cited by the EAC indicate that nearly half of Africa’s small online exporters believe inconsistent digital regulations limit their ability to expand into regional markets.
Ssemuwemba described regulatory fragmentation as one of the biggest barriers to establishing a seamless regional digital market.
“Today, businesses operating in multiple EAC Partner States often face different rules, procedures and compliance requirements for handling data. These differences increase costs, create uncertainty and can discourage innovation. For small businesses and start-ups in particular, fragmented regulations can become a significant obstacle to regional growth,” she said.
The proposed framework seeks to establish common standards for secure cross-border data transfers while respecting national legal systems and protecting citizens’ personal information. It also aims to promote regulatory cooperation, improve interoperability among national systems, reduce compliance costs and encourage investment in the region’s digital economy.
Once adopted, the framework is expected to support the EAC’s vision of creating a Single Digital Market where businesses, governments and citizens can interact seamlessly across borders through trusted digital infrastructure.
Ssemuwemba said the initiative is about removing barriers rather than creating new ones.
“A fragmented and unpredictable cross-border data regime is, in practical terms, a non-tariff barrier to the Common Market. We cannot build a functioning Single Digital Market while leaving this gap unaddressed,” she said.
“Our objective is not to create new barriers, but to build trust. We are working towards a future where businesses can operate seamlessly across East Africa, citizens can access digital services wherever they are in the region, and governments can collaborate more effectively through secure and trusted data-sharing mechanisms.”
The framework is being developed under the Eastern Africa Regional Digital Integration Project (EARDIP), a World Bank-supported programme that seeks to accelerate regional digital integration through harmonised policies, trusted digital infrastructure and integrated digital markets across East Africa.