Corporate Governance and Transparency of State-Owned and State-Linked Digital Enterprises in Africa

This technical background paper sheds light on the corporate governance challenges faced by enterprises with national state shareholdings, specifically State-owned and State-linked Enterprises (SOE-SLEs), operating within Africa's digital sector. State participation in digital infrastructure and services remains widespread in Africa with more than 160 State-owned and state-linked enterprises (SOE-SLEs). Analysis of 44 digital companies with state participation from 18 countries reveals a need to improve corporate governance frameworks and practices to better fit best international practices in line with their national requirements. Moreover, a significant portion of the reviewed companies, out of the 162 identified, lacks transparency in disclosing non-financial information about their management, policies, and corporate governance structures. Alarmingly, less than a fifth of these companies publish their annual reports or financial statements on their websites, underscoring the imperative for improved transparency and accountability measures within Africa's state-owned and state-linked digital enterprises