From South Africa’s POPIA to Nigeria’s NDPR and Kenya’s Data Protection Act, African jurisdictions are putting clear obligations on organisations that process personal data. Compliance isn’t just a legal box-tick—it’s about knowing what you hold, how long you keep it, and how you protect and dispose of it. That’s where records management and data protection meet.
Records management as the foundation. You can’t comply with data protection rules if you don’t know what records you have, where they are, or how long they’re kept. A solid records management programme gives you retention schedules, classification, and disposal procedures. That makes it possible to respond to access requests, demonstrate accountability, and securely destroy data when retention ends.
Common gaps. Many organisations have policies on paper but no clear ownership of records. Filing is ad hoc; retention is unclear; and disposal is rare. When regulators or auditors ask “how do you manage personal data?”, the answer has to be more than “we have a policy.” You need documented processes, trained staff, and evidence that you follow them.
Next steps. Start with an information audit: what personal data do you hold, and where? Map it to your retention schedule and legal obligations. Then strengthen your records and information governance so that compliance becomes part of business as usual. SRDA Africa supports organisations through audits, policy design, and training—get in touch to discuss your context.
