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28 July 2025  |  26 September 2025

Governance, Policy and Regulation for the Digital Era (GPRDE)

Applications accepted until
25 July 2025
Short Course Coordinator:
Beverley Segaetsho
Accreditation:
Certificate of Competence
Course dates
28 July 2025 - 26 September 2025
Applications close
25 July 2025
Overview
This LINK Centre short course presents participants with the opportunity for professional knowledge development, necessary to engage with the full range of policy and regulation matters, currently relevant in African contexts. Previously called "TPRM", the course is designed to think through the constantly evolving issues and concerns inherent in digital deployment on the African continent. Changes are driven by rapidly growing demand for digital content and services, and therefore for fast broadband access, and by the looming shift to AI-enabled life. A paradigm shift in policy and regulation is taking place to promote digitally- and AI-enabled African economies. A quality-assured certificate from the University of the Witwatersrand is issued on successful completion.
Duration
36 weeks
Format
6 hours of daily lectures (Monday to Friday) for 1 week per month over 3 months + assessments
Pricing
VAT Incl = R52,469.92

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    The course content addresses the following topics:



    Module 1: Digital technologies and the evolution of African markets for digital infrastructure and services 

    • Governance in a digital/AI age: contours and anatomy of a digital world
    • Framing the digital innovation cycle and its effects
    • Evolution of mobile broadband technologies: from 1G to 5G and now 6G
    • Future-oriented spectrum management: economic goals and technological needs
    • Technology transition to smart environments: high-speed internet, Internet of Things (IoT), data-driven digital transformation, AI-enabled economies
    • Digital transitions in broadcast and postal services markets, manufacturing, and services
    • Mobile financial services: the foundation for fintech in developing countries
    • Digital technologies and markets enabling the digital economy
    • Cloud computing, platforms, and cybersecurity


    Module 2: Global trends in governance, policy, and regulation for the digital era


    • Governance implications for globalised digital socio-economic transformation
    • Governance implications for digital government and transitions to digital economies in Africa
    • Market structures and regulatory reform: economic characteristics of network industries
    • Global trends in regulatory reform: the dynamic interactions across competition, regulation, and innovation
    • Emerging areas for regulatory practice: AI tech, cybersecurity, data protection, and other
    • Global and regional regulatory institutions and competition authorities
    • Digitally driven socio-economic development: contemporary issues and initiatives
    • Next generation universal access and service and the increasing digital divide
    • Managing regulatory institutions: strategy, structure, governance, and performance


    Module 3: Policy, law, and regulation for the African electronic communications and the digital services ecosystem


    • Strategies for the digital economy in Africa (African Continental Free Trade Area, AUDA-NEPAD case studies)
    • Constitutional and legal frameworks for a digital economy (selected African countries)
    • Policy, law, and regulation for telecoms markets: focus on competition and innovation
    • Frameworks for cyber law and regulation for digital industries and digital media
    • Regulating big tech platforms
    • Cybercrime law, data protection law, and regulation (selected African countries): EU GDPR, AU Convention on Cybersecurity and Data Protection, SADC Framework, and SADC Model Law on Cybersecurity
    • Ethical endgame visualisation


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