About OpenNet Africa

We monitor and promote internet freedom in Africa.

OpenNet Africa was established in 2012 to monitor internet freedoms in Africa with a primary focus on East and Southern Africa. www.opennetafrica.org is a centralised platform for information on African internet freedoms and cyber security, including research materials, censorship incidents, laws on internet freedoms, online safety tools and advocacy materials.

OpenNet Africa is driven by a small and dedicated group of individuals who work in partnership with organisations from across the continent and beyond with the shared goal of promoting internet freedom in Africa.

Since our establishment, we brought thought leaders together on the topic of internet freedoms culminating in our first Internet Freedom Forum which took place in 2014 in Kampala, Uganda.

We are one of the initiatives of the Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) which promotes effective and inclusivity in ICT Policy.

Our Approach

  • Examine how policies and practices in Africa enhance internet freedoms and make recommendations on how they can be more supportive of freedom of expression, human rights and access to information.

  • Spurring multi-stakeholder conversations on the importance of protecting internet rights the way human rights have always been protected and promoted.

  • Train journalists, bloggers and human rights defenders on online safety and responsible online behaviour.

  • Chart initiatives and promote a network of organisations that are advocating for open internet and using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to promote wider freedoms.

  • Test, localize and promote use of tools that enable anonymizing users' identities, secure communications and the circumvention of surveillance and censorship