FIFAfrica26 |
Mauritius is the meeting point for some of Africa’s most pressing conversations about technology, rights and digital governance as the annual Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa 2026 (FIFAfrica26) takes place from September 28 to October 1, 2026 at the InterContinental Resort in Balaclava.
The Forum is set to be opened by Dr. Avinash Ramtohul, Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation (Mauritius).
The 13th edition of FIFAfrica is hosted by the Collaboration on International Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) in partnership with Mauritius-based Halley Movement Coalition. Previous editions have been held in Ethiopia, Ghana, Namibia, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
More than 500 participants from across Africa and beyond, including policymakers, technology practitioners, researchers, journalists, civil society organisations, private sector actors and digital rights advocates are set to attend the event (in person and virtually). Attendees will address data governance and sovereignty; Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies; platform accountability; digital inclusion; the digital economy and trade; digital democracy and civic participation; and digital security and safety.
Mauritius was selected as the host for the 2026 edition as it is Africa’s most stable democracy, with strong rule of law and robust protection for freedom of expression, both offline and online. The country is also a pioneer in technology-driven governance and digital transformation. The country offers a space for policy-oriented discussions on data governance, regulation of AI, platform accountability, and digital trade within a context that is progressively navigating these transitions.
Dr. Wairagala Wakabi, CIPESA’s Executive Director stated that, “The Forum creates an opportunity for Mauritian perspectives to enter a broader African conversation at a time when countries across the continent are making consequential decisions about the technologies and systems that will shape their societies. Mauritius brings its experiences and learning from policies to the continental table, while participants from across Africa bring questions about digital inclusion, regulation, innovation, civic participation ,and digital rights.”
The Forum comes at a significant moment for Mauritius as the country is implementing its Digital Transformation Blueprint 2025–2029, which identifies digital public infrastructure, digital skills, private sector innovation, cyber resilience, data governance and AIas key components of its digital transformation agenda. In April, Mauritius also launched its National AI Strategy and FAIR Guidelines, setting out principles around fairness, accountability, inclusiveness, integrity and responsibility in the development and use of AI. The FIFAfrica agenda reflects many of these developments and how they are being engaged with across Africa.
Mahendranath Busgopaul, the Halley Movement Secretary General, notes that, “Africa’s digital future is one that we have to put in effort to shape. The decisions that we make about digital transformation, inclusion, protection and access will determine what kind of digital societies we will have in the future. Hosting FIFAfrica26 in Mauritius gives us an opportunity to bring our experiences to the continental conversation, learn from others, and collectively shape a digital future that is responsive to the diversity of the continent.”
Across Africa, the expansion of digital access and services has resulted in concerns around privacy, cybersecurity, access, accountability and trust. It is within this evolving landscape that FIFAfrica26 will explore what responsible digital transformation should look like for the people who use, depend on and are affected by digital technologies every day.
FIFAfrica26 will begin with pre-event activities on 28 and 29 September 28 and 29, followed by the main Forum on September and October 1, 2026 at the InterContinental Resort, Balaclava, Mauritius.
About the co-hosts of FIFAfrica26
CIPESA: CIPESA works to defend and expand the digital civic space to enable the protection and promotion of human rights and to enhance innovation and sustainable development. CIPESA’s work responds to a shortage of information, research, resources and actors consistently working at the nexus of technology, human rights and society. Indeed, CIPESA’s establishment in 2004 was in response to the findings of the Louder Voices Report for DFiD, which cited the lack of easy, affordable and timely access to information about ICT-related issues and processes as key barriers to effective and inclusive ICT policy making in Africa.
Since 2014, CIPESA has convened FIFAfrica in collaboration with government ministries, international agencies and local partners. It has built each edition through partnerships that reflect the priorities, realities and emerging challenges of Africa’s digital societies. Visit the website
Halley Movement Coalition: The Halley Movement was founded in 1989 and is the lead organisation for the Mauritius Internet Governance Forum & Africa-Indian Ocean Island States IGF. The Movement is a coalition of charitable organisations that works in partnership with the private sector, governmental institutions and other international and national organisations. Visit the website
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