IN a groundbreaking study conducted by Netherlands-based cybersecurity firm Surfshark, Kenya has emerged as the African leader in electronic infrastructure quality. The research, which evaluated 25 African countries, unveiled a surprising revelation that a nation’s wealth is not the sole determinant of its electronic infrastructure development.
Electronic infrastructure, or e-infrastructure, encompasses a wide array of technological components such as broadband internet channels, computing power, bandwidth allocation, data storage, and grid-based resource sharing. Surfshark’s analysis, which extended to 121 countries worldwide, identified 52 nations with subpar electronic infrastructure, characterised by a lower-than-average e-infrastructure index. On the flip side, 69 countries showcased well-developed electronic infrastructure.
One striking finding of the study was that countries with lower e-infrastructure levels often tended to be economically challenged, though exceptions like Kenya defied this trend. Despite having a relatively low GDP per capita of $2,100, Kenya outshone its African counterparts in e-infrastructure.
Gabriele Racaityte-Krasauske, a spok
eswoman for Surfshark, commented on this phenomenon, stating, ‘However, there are exceptions – Kenya has a low GDP per capita ($2,100) but ranks higher than average in e-infrastructure, proving that the wealth of a country is not the only factor driving e-infrastructure development.’
Surfshark’s study emphasised the detrimental impact of poor e-infrastructure on citizens’ lives, particularly in an era when many essential services are transitioning to online platforms. The cybersecurity firm,
known for its services including virtual private networks (VPNs), antivirus, data leak detection, private search, and automated personal data removal, stressed the significance of e-infrastructure in facilitating access to the internet.
The research also highlighted that the majority of European nations boasted robust electronic infrastructure, with only 13 percent ranking lower than the global average. These European countries include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Moldova, and North Macedonia.
‘A country’s e-infrastructure level greatly impacts the quality of people’s lives – from access to information to employment opportunities and education. Monitoring countries’ progress in e-infrastructure can help to better understand the key drivers behind it and speed up its development,’ noted Gabriele Racaityte-Krasauske.
Surfshark’s study drew its data from the Digital Quality of Life Index 2023, a comprehensive ranking of 121 countries worldwide based on five pillars affecting a population’s digital quality of life. These pillars include e-infrastructure, internet affordability, internet quality, electronic security, and electronic government.
Overall, Kenya secured the 76th position out of the 121 countries evaluated, with a digital quality of life score of 0.4201. The lower scores on internet affordability and internet quality were identified as factors affecting Kenya’s ranking in this index, highlighting areas for potential improvement in the future.
