Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa

What Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa does

CIPESA is a Kampala, Uganda–headquartered nonprofit ICT policy think tank founded in 2013 that promotes effective and inclusive ICT policy, digital rights, and internet freedom across Africa. Its work spans research and policy analysis (including the annual State of Internet Freedom in Africa reports), multi-stakeholder convening (the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa, or FIFAfrica), grant-making (the Africa Digital Rights Fund, or ADRF, providing USD 5,000–25,000 grants), and capacity-building programs (the Digital Public Infrastructure Journalism Fellowship, digital security training, and the PWD Changemakers Initiative for disability inclusion). It serves civil society organizations, journalists and media professionals, African governments and policymakers, and human rights defenders across at least 13 African countries.

The organization's "platform" is programmatic rather than technological: a portfolio of interconnected services — Research & Policy Analysis, Capacity Building, FIFAfrica, ADRF, the DPI Fellowship, Digital Inclusion, Data Governance, and Digital Resilience — delivered through its website (cipesa.org), social channels, newsletters, regional forums, and direct grantee engagement. There are no commercial software products, APIs, or proprietary AI systems; the technology stack is conventional website/content publishing infrastructure. The 2025 expansion into AI governance research (country reports on AI and digital democracy in Ghana and Kenya) reflects the addition of an AI policy vertical rather than any AI capability build.

CIPESA's business model is grant-funded nonprofit operations. Revenue comes from a diversified base of 19+ institutional donors — including the European Union, Enabel, Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Omidyar Network, the Hewlett Foundation, the Government of Sweden, UNESCO, Co-Develop, and others — supporting thematic programs, convenings, and pass-through grant-making. ADRF has deployed over USD 1 million across 10 calls since 2019 to 45+ initiatives. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors, led by Executive Director Dr. Wairagala Wakabi, and operates with a small core staff distributed across Kampala and the broader region. Go-to-market is community-led: research and convening attract participants, fellows, and grantees, while donor reporting and policy influence secure renewed funding.

Name

Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa

Legal name

Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa

Website

https://cipesa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CIPESA is a Kampala-based nonprofit ICT policy think tank that promotes digital rights and internet freedom across Africa through research, convening, grant-making, and capacity building for civil society, journalists, and policymakers in 13+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

ICT Policy Research and Advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Privacy, Data Protection & Cyber Governance (GRC) (BPAHAFAF)

Keywords

• ICT policy research
• Digital rights advocacy
• Internet freedom
• Civil society capacity building
• Policy think tank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kampala

HQ country

Uganda

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding and Donor Support: CIPESA operates as a non-profit organization primarily funded through grants and support from international donors, foundations, and development partners. Revenue comes from institutional donors who support digital rights advocacy, policy research, and civil society capacity building across Africa.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CIPESA is a nonprofit ICT policy research and advocacy organization that conducts research, publishes reports, convenes stakeholders, and provides grants and training to advance digital rights and internet freedom across East and Southern Africa. Its core offerings include policy research and analysis (e.g., State of Internet Freedom in Africa reports), the FIFAfrica convening platform, the Africa Digital Rights Fund grant program, and the DPI Journalism Fellowship. The organization serves civil society, journalists, governments, and human rights defenders across more than 9 African countries.

Product overview

CIPESA (Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa) is an ICT policy research organization and think tank that functions as a platform of interconnected programs rather than a traditional product company. Its core offerings include: Research & Policy Analysis producing reports on internet freedom and digital rights; the Forum for Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica) as a major convening platform; the Africa Digital Rights Fund (ADRF) providing grants to civil society organizations; the DPI Journalism Fellowship training journalists on digital public infrastructure; and programmatic work on Digital Inclusion, Data Governance, and Digital Resilience. These programs collectively advance online rights advocacy, research, capacity building, and funding across Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research & Policy Analysis In-depth research and policy analysis on developments shaping the ICT policy landscape in Africa, including the annual State of Internet Freedom in Africa reports. Targets civil society, policymakers, and other stakeholders.
• Capacity Building & Skills Development Skills development programs and training to grow the network of actors advancing digital rights in Africa, including digital security training for human rights defenders. Targets civil society organizations, journalists, and activists.
• Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica) A convening space for interrogation, debate, and consensus-building on civic and digital rights across Africa, bringing together journalists, technologists, human rights defenders, and policymakers. Held annually as both in-person and virtual events.
• Africa Digital Rights Fund (ADRF) A funding initiative providing rapid response and flexible grants (USD 5,000 to USD 25,000) to organizations and networks to implement activities promoting digital rights and digital democracy across Africa, including advocacy, litigation, research, policy analysis, and movement building. Targets civil society organizations.
• Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Journalism Fellowship A six-month regional fellowship in partnership with Co-Develop supporting journalists across nine East African countries (Burundi, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda) to report on DPI and Digital Public Goods with knowledge, skills, and reporting grants. Targets journalists in East Africa.
• PWD Changemakers Initiative An initiative honouring African leaders challenging exclusion in technology, policy, and practice for persons with disabilities in Africa. Targets the disability inclusion community and policymakers.
• Data Governance Programs Work focused on data protection, privacy, cross-border data flows, and ensuring data governance frameworks safeguard citizen rights in digital transformation. Targets policymakers, regulators, and civil society.
• Digital Inclusion Programs Programs focused on expanding digital access and ensuring inclusive participation in the digital economy for marginalized communities including persons with disabilities, women, youth, and refugees. Targets civil society, policymakers, and marginalized communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million USD distributed to digital rights initiatives across Africa since 2019
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Co-DevelopcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for DPI Journalism Fellowship for Eastern Africa. Co-Develop provides funding and strategic direction for the fellowship program that trains journalists on reporting digital public infrastructure across 9 East African countries. The partnership aims to build media capacity for DPI coverage in the region.
• IFEXminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network of free expression organizations. IFEX is part of CIPESA's partner network supporting digital rights work across Africa.
• East West Management Institute (EWMI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting ICT policy and digital rights work.
• Internet Society (ISOC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal nonprofit organization dedicated to internet development and policy. Partner in digital rights and internet freedom initiatives.
• InternewsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational nonprofit supporting media development and digital rights globally.
• Global Partners Digital (GPD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting digital rights policy engagement.
• Association for Progressive Communications (APC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal network of civil society organizations focused on internet rights and digital justice.
• UNESCOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Nations agency supporting digital rights and internet freedom policy frameworks.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• IFEX: International network of free-expression organizations coordinating crisis response and advocacy on press freedom and digital rights — a direct peer and listed strategic partner of CIPESA, with overlapping grantee networks across Africa.
• Access Now: International digital rights NGO defending and extending the digital rights of users at risk — comparable to CIPESA in internet freedom advocacy, policy submissions, and emergency digital security support, though with broader global scope and larger budget.
• Association for Progressive Communications (APC): Global civil society network focused on internet rights, digital justice, and ICT policy — directly comparable to CIPESA's mandate and an active strategic partner, with overlapping membership in the African digital-rights ecosystem.
• Global Partners Digital (GPD): Digital rights policy organization supporting inclusive, rights-respecting digital governance — directly comparable to CIPESA's policy engagement function and listed as a strategic partner, with similar convening and policy-submission work.
• Research ICT Africa: Africa-based ICT policy research think tank producing evidence-based analysis on ICT access, governance, and regulation — directly comparable to CIPESA's research and policy-analysis model on the same continent, though with stronger academic-research orientation.
• Article 19: Global free expression organization working on digital rights, internet freedom, and information policy — closely aligned with CIPESA's mission, especially around policy advocacy and protection of human rights defenders in restrictive environments.

Emerging players

• DefendDefenders: East Africa-based organization protecting human rights defenders, including through digital security — directly comparable to CIPESA's HRD digital security and protection programs in the same geographic footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Internews: International nonprofit supporting independent media and digital rights globally — comparable in journalism fellowship and capacity-building work, but with a wider media-development portfolio beyond digital rights.
• Internet Society (ISOC): Global nonprofit advocating for an open, globally connected, and secure internet — overlapping with CIPESA's internet freedom mandate but operating at much greater scale across technical standards, infrastructure, and policy.

Regional players

• Derechos Digitales: Latin America-based digital rights organization conducting policy research, advocacy, and litigation — highly comparable operating model (research, advocacy, capacity building) but serving a different region, making it a useful benchmark rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/cipesaug
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/collaboration-on-international-ict-policy-for-east-and-southern-africa-cipesa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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