Digital sovereignty in the Commonwealth: evaluating South Africa’s cybersecurity and data infrastructure

As the Commonwealth promotes equitable development and cooperation, the digital era presents new challenges for sovereignty and security. South Africa, one of Africa’s most connected economies, remains increasingly dependent on foreign technology providers for cloud services, data hosting and cybersecurity infrastructure. This essay evaluates whether Commonwealth frameworks, including the 2018 Cyber Declaration and Connectivity Agenda, meaningfully support South Africa’s pursuit of digital sovereignty. It argues that although Commonwealth principles align with digital independence, weak enforcement mechanisms and resource asymmetries limit their practical impact. Without stronger collective digital strategies, the Commonwealth risks reinforcing digital dependency rather than empowerment.