Senegal’s New Deal Technologique Horizon 2034: Building digital sovereignty and economic transformation

Senegal is making a bold play to secure its place in Africa’s digital future. Under President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, the government has launched the New Deal Technologique (NDT) Horizon 2034, a sweeping ten-year strategy designed to boost technological sovereignty and put digital transformation at the heart of the country’s development. Anchored in the long-term Vision Sénégal 2050, the plan is not just about modernising systems — it’s about reshaping the economy, governance, and even Senegal’s role on the continent.

At its core, the strategy rests on four big priorities. First digital sovereignty: keeping sensitive data within Senegal, building sovereign cloud and cybersecurity infrastructure, and tightening regulations. Second is the digitalisation of public services — everything from creating interoperable e-government platforms to ensuring 95 percent of administrative procedures can be handled online, through simple, citizen-friendly portals. The third pillar focuses on growing the digital economy, with support for startups and innovation hubs, the deployment of artificial intelligence, near-universal connectivity, and digital integration across vital sectors like health, education, agriculture, commerce, and transport. Finally, Senegal is eyeing continental leadership. The goal is to be one of Africa’s top three exporters of digital services by 2034, while strengthening regional partnerships, attracting investment, and raising homegrown “e-champions” to international prominence.

The targets are as ambitious as the vision. By 2034, Senegal wants over 500 recognised tech startups, 150,000 direct jobs in the digital sector and another 200,000 indirectly, with digital contributing 15 percent of GDP. The country plans to graduate 100,000 IT specialists, certify 90 percent of its digital experts locally, and ensure that almost all citizens have quality internet access. Nearly every public service is expected to be digitised, with eight in ten Senegalese actively using e-government tools. Sensitive data will be hosted entirely within national borders, and 5,000 new digital jobs are expected to be created each year.

But the road ahead won’t be easy. Senegal has been here before: its previous strategy, SN2025, delivered only a fraction of its promises, with fewer than 20 percent of projects and reforms fully realised. Weak governance, poor interoperability, redundant costs, a stubborn digital divide, and cybersecurity threats all hampered progress. This time, the government says, things will be different. The NDT stresses centralised yet agile governance, clear monitoring and evaluation, strong public-private partnerships, more investment in local skills and research, and serious safeguards for cybersecurity and data protection.

For those watching closely, the plan carries big implications. Tech startups can expect better infrastructure, financing, and a stronger home market. Policymakers elsewhere in Africa may see in Senegal a model for digital sovereignty and governance reform. Development partners, meanwhile, will find alignment with global goals on education, health, and decent work — as well as new openings for ICT-driven cooperation.

Senegal’s Horizon 2034 isn’t just a roadmap — it’s a bet. A bet that digital transformation can power growth, create jobs, and secure sovereignty in a fast-changing world. If it works, Senegal could not only rewrite its own digital story but also set the stage for Africa’s wider digital future.

Read the full strategy document here.