[ACCI-CAVIE] Africa possesses considerable natural resources, but how much control does it have over the information needed to determine their value and negotiate the terms of their exploitation? This question lies at the heart of the continent’s economic sovereignty. South Korea, Vietnam and Singapore demonstrate how market intelligence, anticipation of competitors’ strategies and the development of analytical capabilities can support economic transformation. Their experiences raise an issue that deserves greater attention in African public policy: the ability to turn information into decision-making power.
Information as a bargaining tool
Competitive intelligence combines three complementary functions: strategic monitoring, the protection of information and know-how, and influence. For governments, these capabilities help track markets, safeguard national expertise and prepare for negotiations. When a multinational company negotiates a mining contract, for example, it can draw on data covering global commodity prices, extraction costs, tax regimes and available technologies. Without independent analysis, a government risks assessing its resources largely through the projections supplied by its negotiating partner. Such information asymmetries can affect contractual terms and influence how much value remains in the country.
Three Asian experiences worth examining
South Korea made the acquisition and application of knowledge an important part of its industrialisation strategy. Established in 1966, the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) contributed to the development of domestic scientific capabilities and the adaptation of foreign technologies. Its experience illustrates the importance of connecting research, technology monitoring and industrial decision-making. For African economies, the challenge is to understand end markets, processing technologies and competitors’ strategies before deciding which industries to develop.
Since the Doi Moi reforms launched in 1986, Vietnam has progressively strengthened its integration into global value chains. Its experience highlights the importance of attracting investment while developing local skills and productive capacity. Singapore, meanwhile, established its Economic Development Board (EDB) in 1961 to support industrialisation and attract investment. Its approach demonstrates the value of anticipating business needs and adapting the country’s economic offering accordingly.
These trajectories, examined in Gouverner est un Métier : Expériences, leçons et recommandations d’un praticien africain (L’Harmattan Sénégal, 2026), illustrate how information becomes strategic when it informs concrete decisions.
Africa’s untapped intelligence potential
African economies generate data through telecommunications, financial transactions, agriculture, healthcare and trade. Yet the existence of these data does not guarantee that they will be analysed and used to advance local interests. Where analytical capabilities are insufficient, institutions may depend on external studies without always being able to test their assumptions or assess their conclusions against domestic priorities. International expertise remains valuable, but it should complement African capabilities rather than replace them. Information sovereignty also requires protecting sensitive data, know-how and knowledge generated on the continent.
Initiatives in Rwanda, Morocco, Ethiopia and Côte d’Ivoire indicate that sector-specific capabilities are developing. Further progress requires governments to establish strategic monitoring and competitive intelligence units within key ministries, train analysts, allocate budgets to intelligence gathering and ensure that findings inform actual decisions. Diplomatic missions can also help monitor foreign markets, technological developments and investment flows. The priority is to move beyond fragmented data collection towards a sustained capacity for analysis and anticipation.
From strategic monitoring to collective action
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) makes this requirement particularly tangible. To enter new markets, businesses need reliable information on standards, competitors, logistics constraints and market-entry requirements. Governments, in turn, must assess the implications of trade concessions and identify the industries that need strengthening. Decisions grounded in reliable intelligence help distinguish genuine opportunities from potential risks and support better investment choices.
Achieving this requires coordinated institutions, specialised expertise and cooperation between countries. The African Center for Competitive Intelligence (CAVIE) contributes to this effort by developing and sharing knowledge about African markets and the competitive dynamics shaping them. By bringing intelligence closer to decision-makers’ needs, competitive intelligence can strengthen negotiation strategies, improve anticipation and enhance the competitiveness of African organisations.
South Korea, Vietnam and Singapore do not offer blueprints that Africa can reproduce wholesale. Their experiences instead demonstrate that information must be systematically gathered, protected and integrated into economic decision-making. For Africa, sovereignty also depends on the ability to understand the value of its resources, anticipate competitors’ strategies and negotiate on the basis of independent analysis.
Dr Lansana Gagny SAKHO
Secretary-General of the African Center for Competitive Intelligence (CAVIE)