Access to internet connectivity is very low in the Central African Republic and access to stable electricity is just as bad. Yet, the country is pursuing digitalization as a solution to the lack of financial services in its post-conflict environment. Endeavors like using Bitcoin and Sango Coin—both of which heavily depend on internet connectivity—as legal tender, coupled with low cybersecurity awareness raises questions about the viability of such digital solutions. How the government promotes security as part of its digital transformation of financial services will be very important to the future of the country’s citizens.
This paper reviews cybersecurity governance challenges that arise as a result of adopting digital financial solutions and how the Central African Republic plans to mitigate them. It then compares the country’s approach to how other post-conflict countries such as Afghanistan, Liberia, and Somalia have addressed these challenges when adopting a digital finance strategy. Based on lessons learnt from these other post-conflict countries, the paper makes recommendations that might help improve the Central African Republic’s approach.