Our network
Who we are
Sub-Saharan Africa has vibrant innovation communities, which include grassroots organisations, civil society groups, and community-based actors across the region that work actively to strengthen digital democracy. We believe that Africans should be active architects of their digital democratic futures, and not passive recipients of imported solutions. Through peer learning, capacity-building and flexible funding, we support projects that use digital tools to advance participation, build safer civic spaces online, protect digital rights, and challenge power imbalances in how technology shapes democracy.
Digital democracy in Sub-Saharan Africa faces unique challenges: significant portions of the region’s population remain offline, data remains expensive, internet shutdowns silence dissent, platform monopolies concentrate control, and digital inequality deepens existing exclusions. Yet across the continent, innovative actors are responding: from youth movements using social media to challenge entrenched power, to community organizations creating WhatsApp channels for local accountability, to digital rights groups protecting activists’ online security. We exist to amplify and connect these efforts, recognising that there is no single model for digital democracy but rather a constellation of approaches emerging from diverse contexts.
This community is possible because of the Digital Democracy Innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa (DDISA) Fund, which is managed by OpenUp, a South African civic technology organisation with over a decade of experience strengthening democratic participation through responsible technology development.
Project implementors:
About the DDI
The DDISA Fund is a regional programme of the Digital Democracy Initiative, which is funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Union. CIVICUS, in partnership with Global Focus, is driving support to ensure that civil society – particularly marginalised actors in Global South countries where civic space is obstructed or repressed – is better prepared to use digital technology for civic engagement and to expand inclusive democracy and civic space.
The DDI is funded by:
A growing community
We believe in collaboration and co-creation. To help build toward the grantee’s impact in advancing Sub-Saharan African digital democracy, we will also provide additional forms of support, designed to meet the targeted needs of grantees, and to build toward a more sustainable ecosystem.
These workshops are tailored to the specific needs of each cohort and focus on developing innovation, digital, and data skills. These will also have train-the-trainer components. Responsible technology components, like cybersecurity training, will help partners protect their data and advance their safe use of virtual platforms.
Grantees have access to an innovation advice desk and dedicated technical assistance desks that provide support for both the technology development and data-related aspects of project implementation. This will help with making a more sustainable investment into digital capacities.
The programme offers organisational development mentoring with partners from the grantees own region, which is supplemented by guest lectures from industry experts and other grantees.
To foster solidarity and collective action, the programme facilitates peer learning networks and an engaged community of practice, and supports the creation of independent communication channels for grantees to connect. This is additionally supported by communication strategies seeking to amplify the work of grantees, and some additional provision for event attendance.
Grantees and partners gain access to a resource library and various knowledge products, such as case studies and technical documentation shared via open platforms.
The programme includes early sustainability planning, training on revenue generation, and assistance in helping to identify additional potential funding sources to help projects continue beyond the grant period
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