Open Data
Why African Data Needs Its Own Infrastructure - Not Just Adaptation
Adapting Western data governance frameworks to African contexts is not enough. We need infrastructure designed from the ground up for African realities.
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Long-form analysis, perspectives, and thought leadership from the Datum Africa team and community. Covering open data practice, decolonial AI, and community-centred data work across Africa.
Decolonial AI
Decolonial Data Practice: What It Actually Looks Like in the Field
A practical look at how Datum Africa's community programs approach representation, language, and context in African data documentation - and what we've learned.
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The Hidden Cost of Missing Metadata: Evidence from 500 African Datasets
Our analysis of 500 community-contributed datasets found that missing or incomplete metadata reduces discoverability by an estimated 60% - with non-English datasets most affected.
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What 300 African Data Contributors Said About What Makes Them Stay
Our 2025 contributor survey found that mentorship quality and community belonging - not technical tools - were the top two factors driving sustained open data contribution.
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