This Background Paper examines the role and relevance of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in the digitaleconomies in Africa and the potential risks to competition and market distortions. It builds on new datathat was collected on the presence of SOEs and the competitive environment in digital infrastructure andmobile, wireless, international calling, and data markets. Detailed information was collected on 37 SOEs1from across 18 countries in the region to build an in-depth picture of the rol