Africa: Technology

Real estate has traditionally been associated with physical property, paper-based documentation and conventional financing. However, the rapid development of technology is beginning to challenge some of these known traditional structures, such as the use of blockchain technology and digital assets in real estate investment.

Embedded payments are transforming how consumers transact, moving payment functionality into everyday devices like game controllers, wearables, and connected objects. As South Africa's Reserve Bank modernises its payment ecosystem, businesses must navigate the regulatory implications of making payments invisible while ensuring accountability remains transparent.

The European Banking Authority and European System of Central Banks have published responses to the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation consultation that signal a fundamental shift in EU digital finance architecture. Rather than expanding MiCAR's scope, regulators are focusing on repairing critical interfaces between crypto regulation and traditional financial services, addressing stablecoin liquidity, bank issuance models, group supervision, and the private-law treatment of tokens.

Africa's digital economy recorded US$1.1 trillion in transactions in 2025, but cybercriminals stole US$484 million as artificial intelligence now drives 55% of reported cybercrimes across the continent.

The European Union is fundamentally reshaping how it regulates space infrastructure, moving beyond viewing it as merely a commercial or scientific endeavor to treating it as critical digital infrastructure essential to modern economies.

The EU's Cyber Resilience Act introduces mandatory vulnerability and incident reporting obligations for manufacturers of digital products starting 11 September 2026, well before the broader regulatory framework takes effect. Manufacturers must navigate tight reporting deadlines, determine when they become "aware" of security events, and establish governance structures to comply with 24-hour early warnings and subsequent detailed notifications through a platform that is not yet operational.

The modern workplace is no longer confined to the physical office. As businesses increasingly embrace digital systems, remote working arrangements and technology driven management, employers now have unprecedented visibility into the activities of their workforce. Employee attendance can be recorded through biometric systems; movements can be tracked through GPS-enabled devices; emails and internet activity can be monitored; computer screens can be captured; and sophisticated software can analyse an employee’s productivity, behaviour and patterns of work. What was once limited to a supervisor’s physical observation can now occur continuously, remotely and, in some instances, without the employee’s immediate awareness.

Africa's digital economy recorded US$1.1 trillion in transactions in 2025, but cybercriminals stole US$484 million as artificial intelligence now drives 55% of reported cybercrimes across the continent.

The August Policy Trend Trail examines policy developments aimed at improving Nigeria’s economic potential through consumer protection, digital infrastructure, and the operationalisation of existing policy frameworks. The policies considered span across various sectors such as real estate, corporate commercial, taxation, public, postal, and digital economy sectors. Notwithstanding the diversity of sectors, the policy analysis reveals a shared common thread: the need to address structural gaps that have long constrained Nigeria’s economic growth and reduced consumer confidence. This Policy Trail examines not only the substance of each reform, but also the practical implementation questions that will ultimately determine their impact.