The African Programme on Rethinking Development Economics (APORDE) is a high high-level training programme in development economics targeting policy-makers, researchers, academics and civil society representatives from Africa and other developing countries. The programme has been running since 2007 and is a joint initiative between the South African Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) and Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS). This fifth podcast in a six-part African Programme on Rethinking Development Economics (APORDE) series focuses on the conversation to data sovereignty and data storage with the emergence of digital technology. The various ways that African economies can advance their digital technologies, develop their capacity for data localisation and the importance of industrial policy to progress the digital potential of African countries. Host development economist, Ayabonga Cawe explores these issues together with his guest Rashmi Banga, senior economic affairs officer based at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).