This dashboard maps the status of data protection legislation across all 54 African Union member states, updated as of April 2026. It provides an overview of where data protection laws exist, whether the responsible enforcement authorities are operational, and the applicable continental and regional instruments, including the AU Data Policy Framework, the ECOWAS Supplementary Act on Personal Data Protection, and the SADC Model Law on Data Protection.
With 44 countries having enacted data protection legislation and 37 maintaining operational data protection authorities, Africa’s regulatory landscape has matured considerably. Yet significant gaps remain, where seven countries have no general data protection law, and a further 17 lack fully operational enforcement bodies. The dashboard allows researchers, policymakers, compliance practitioners, and the public to explore country-level profiles and understand the broader continental context around data protection legislation.