The Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa 2025 (FIFAfrica25) is gearing up for its 12th edition from 22 to 26 September 2025 in Windhoek, Namibia. Hosted annually by APC member Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), the event offers the APC network an important opportunity to connect with and influence the governance mechanisms and technological practices that are shaping the future of internet freedom in Africa, as well as to map out pathways towards a resilient and inclusive digital society for Africans.
The event's multistakeholder format will bring together civil society organisations, human rights defenders, digital rights advocates, policymakers, journalists, global platform operators, telecommunications companies, regulators, academia and law enforcement representatives to debate policy, engage in advocacy and share skills. Key themes at this year’s gathering include AI, digital governance, and human rights; disinformation and platform accountability; internet shutdowns; digital inclusion; digital trade in Africa; digital public infrastructure (DPI); and digital safety and resilience.
APC staff, members and partners will be playing an active role throughout the event by hosting and speaking at various sessions and meet-ups. In addition to ongoing efforts to shape technologies in support of social, gender, and environmental justice, the forum will also serve as a platform for African voices to influence global digital governance processes, such as the WSIS+20 review and the Global Digital Compact, two key areas of work for APC.
Below you will find a schedule of events taking place throughout FIFAfrica 2025 where the APC network will be hosting and presenting, along with a collection of preparatory recommended resources on the key areas. We will continue to update this page as information comes in. Participants can register for the event online and see the full FIFAfrica25 agenda online for the latest updates.
Day 1 - Monday, 22 September
Safety for Voices Meeting
9:00 - 17:00 local time | Avani Hotel
APC hosting and speaking
Day 2 - Tuesday, 23 September
NHRI Training on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Human Rights
9:00 - 17:00 local time | Location TBD
APC member CIPESA co-hosting and speaking
Africa Cybersecurity Advocacy Workshop
9:00 - 17:00 local time | Location TBD
APC partner Internet Society hosting
From Harm to Justice: Reimagining Digital Safety for Women and Girls in Africa
9:00 - 17:00 local time | Location TBD
APC members KICTANet and Pollicy co-hosting and speaking
Amplifying Achievements of Digital Rights Advocacy through the Universal Periodic Review (UPR): Testimonies from our Partners
9:00 - 17:00 local time | Location TBD
APC member CIPESA co-hosting and speaking
Digital Rights Alliance Africa (DRAA) Member Meeting
9:00 - 17:00 local time | Location TBD
APC member CIPESA co-hosting and speaking
Africa Members Meeting
9:00 - 17:00 local time | Avani Hotel
APC hosting and speaking
Day 3 - Wednesday, 24 September
Africa Regional Consultation on Global Policy and Legal Action
9:00 - 17:00 local time | Location TBD
APC member CIPESA co-hosting and speaking
Africa Cybersecurity Advocacy Workshop
9:00 - 17:00 local time | Location TBD
APC partner Internet Society hosting
African Union (AU) Model Handbook on Data Governance
9:00 - 17:00 local time | Location TBD
APC member Pollicy hosting and speaking
Amplifying Achievements of Digital Rights Advocacy through the Universal Periodic Review (UPR): Testimonies from our Partners
9:00 - 17:00 local time | Location TBD
APC member CIPESA co-hosting and speaking
Digital Rights Alliance Africa (DRAA) Member Meeting
9:00 - 17:00 local time | Location TBD
APC member CIPESA co-hosting and speaking
Day 4 - Thursday, 25 September
Towards Effective Use and Governance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Africa
11:30 - 13:00 local time | Kuiseb Hall
APC members Pollicy and CIPESA co-hosting
Digital Hegemony, Market Dominance, and Big Tech in Africa
14:00 - 15:30 local time | Omatako 4
APC partner ARTICLE 19 speaking
Day 5 - Friday, 26 September
Data Protection and Cybersecurity in Africa: Multi-country Insights on Key Issues and Opportunities for Strengthening Human Rights Protections
8:30 - 10:00 local time | Kuiseb Hall
APC partner Access Now co-hosting and speaking
Defending Human Rights Amidst Increasing Gender Disinformation Cases in Africa
8:30 - 10:00 local time | Omatako 2
APC hosting and speaking
Cross-Regional Lessons: Why we need human rights protection for Inclusive Digitalisation in North Africa
8:30 - 10:00 local time | Omatako 4
APC partner ARTICLE 19 hosting and speaking
Designing Community-led and Inclusive Tech Responses to Gendered Online Violence
10:15 - 11:45 local time | Kuiseb Hall
APC member Pollicy co-hosting
What forces are driving Digital-ID and Digital Public Infrastructure?
12:00 - 13:30 local time | Omatako 2
APC member CIPESA co-hosting and speaking
#KeepItOn: Resisting internet shutdowns during conflict and turmoil – lessons from across Africa
12:00 - 13:30 local time | Omatako 4
APC partner Access Now co-hosting and speaking
Children’s Rights in the Digital Age: Mapping the Policy Gaps
14:30 - 16:00 local time | Kuiseb Hall
APC member CIPESA co-hosting
State of Internet Freedom in Africa 2025 Launch | Closing Ceremony Ministry of ICT Namibia
16:10 - 17:30 local time | Kuiseb Hall
APC member CIPESA co-hosting
Recommended resources:
- WSIS+20 Five-Point Plan Follow-up: Eight Practical Recommendations
This document offers practical recommendations to ensure transparency, inclusivity and meaningful stakeholder engagement in the WSIS+20 review process. - APC policy explainer: The WSIS+20 process
This review will assess progress made in implementing the original World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) vision and outcomes, and determine future directions for creating an inclusive information society. - AfriSIG 2025: “Where policy, activism and African realities converge”
The 13th African School on Internet Governance (AfriSIG) reaffirmed that internet governance requires a human rights framework, one that incorporates data justice, accountability and the inclusion of marginalised voices to meaningfully shape Africa’s policy-making landscape. - A feminist perspective on researching technology-facilitated gender-based violence
This GenderIT.org special edition is a collection of reflections and analytical essays by the Feminist Internet Research Network (FIRN) and FIRN’s research partners. It reflects on what it means to do research at this critical juncture. - Safety for Voices: Sustaining defenders through feminist holistic security
Safety for Voices is a global South-based initiative implemented by a consortium led by the Association for Progressive Communications, with Urgent Action Fund Africa, Urgent Action Fund Asia and Pacific and IM-Defensoras as consortium partners, that is focused on achieving “greater safety, both online and offline, for human rights defenders worldwide” with support from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGIS). - Global aid in crisis: Can we find sustainability in a precarious funding climate?
This article analyses how funding landscapes have changed quickly, creating a climate of uncertainty for many civil society organisations and social movements. In this context, it also brings a reflection on how to assess and respond to these challenges. - Stepping outside the algorithm
This piece features reflections from APC members on how the governance changes at X and Meta have affected their work – and, importantly, what they think civil society organisations should do about it. - From connectivity to opportunities: What we’re learning from Africa’s community networks
Across rural Kenya and townships in South Africa, a digital shift is quietly underway. It’s not coming from tech giants or fibre monopolies; it's being led by local community networks, people-powered efforts to connect the unconnected and equip communities with the tools to shape their digital futures.