A Digital Central African Republic?
By Sophie HERVOUET | LNC Translated into English by Susan CARTER-JONES l LNC
(Bangui, June 30, 2026 | LNC) The government of the Central African Republic is keen to develop its digital sector, and—contrary to what might have been expected—it is turning not to Russia, but to France. Consequently, last Friday, a French delegation led by Ambassador Bruno Foucher met with the relevant minister, Roger Andjalandj, at the Ministry of the Digital Economy, Posts, and Telecommunications. One of the priorities of the proposed partnership is strengthening human capital. Training programs are therefore planned for young Central African entrepreneurs and startup founders. Efi Frager, Head of the Regional Economic Service based in Yaoundé, stated: "I can assure you that France is here to support the Central African Republic in the development of this strategic sector." However, while this all sounds promising, the country faces a major hurdle: a lack of infrastructure and connectivity (only about 11% of Central Africans are connected). The digital divide is a key challenge. In 2024, 2G and 3G networks covered approximately 60% of the population, according to the GSMA's "Mobile Connectivity Index." Although these technologies still make up the bulk of the country's mobile infrastructure, they are now obsolete in most markets. As for 4G, its commercial launch did not take place until 2025, and its rollout is ongoing. Another issue is the country's landlocked status, which acts as a major constraint. For many years, the Central African Republic had no direct terrestrial link to international fiber-optic networks and relied primarily on satellite connections for access to international bandwidth. In a 2020 study, the World Bank highlighted that this dependency limited competition among operators, kept costs high, and reduced the market's attractiveness to private investors. The country is now connected to the networks of Cameroon and the Congo, while other regional interconnections are under consideration. Beyond the lack of infrastructure, the Central African Republic also lags significantly behind in the digital transformation of its public administration. According to the United Nations E-Government Development Index (EGDI), the country ranked 193rd—last place globally—in 2024, with a score of 0.0947 out of 1; this is far below the African (0.4247) and global (0.6382) averages. Regarding cybersecurity, the country also falls into the lowest tier of the global index established by the ITU. Given such dire conditions, one might wonder what role France plays here, considering that—according to ITU data—it boasted a 4G penetration rate of 99% in 2024 and a 5G rate of 93% in 2023. In terms of adoption, the same source indicates an Internet penetration rate of 88.7%, compared to 95.9% for mobile telephony. Internationally, France ranks among the best-positioned countries for digital public services. It achieved an EGDI score of 0.8744 out of 1, placing it 34th worldwide. France also features in the "role model" category for cybersecurity, according to the ITU's Global Cybersecurity Index. Furthermore, France is home to major companies in telecommunications, digital services, and technology infrastructure. This includes groups such as Orange, Capgemini, Thales, and OVHcloud. This ecosystem is further complemented by a particularly dynamic network of startups, supported by the "French Tech" initiative. France ranks among the world's leading tech hubs, placing 11th according to StartupBlink’s "Startup Ecosystem Report 2026." Notable examples include startups such as Doctolib, Mistral AI, Qonto, and Contentsquare, all of which have achieved unicorn status. In the Central African Republic, the situation is far removed from this level.
LNC
Date: June 30, 2026
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