The Strategy–Practice Gap in African Digital Diplomacy

Rwanda’s Model and its Lessons for Africa

Abstract

Digital diplomacy has become an increasingly vital aspect of African statecraft, yet research often attributes it more to visible platforms than to the institutional conditions that enhance their effectiveness. This article introduces the concept of the strategy–practice gap to explain why ambitious digital diplomacy strategies do not always lead to equally effective diplomatic outcomes. The gap is defined as the disconnect between high-level digital diplomatic goals and the organizational capacity needed to implement them routinely. The argument is that this gap is primarily a matter of institutional mediation rather than just technological access. To support this, the study combines public diplomacy theory, which examines strategic communication and national image, with the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), which analyses organizational adoption, skills, and enabling conditions at the micro level. Empirically, the article presents a mixed- methods case study of Rwanda, including survey data from 186 respondents across three institutional levels—Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters (n = 16), diplomatic missions abroad (n = 30), and diaspora members (n = 140)—along with policy documents and international datasets. Results indicate Rwanda's relative success stems from presidential strategic coherence, data-driven governance, active cyber diplomacy, service-focused digital state capacity, and multilateral norm promotion. However, the study also highlights a persistent strategy–practice gap: although 93.88% of headquarters respondents report strong strategic alignment, the same percentage cite staff expertise shortages as the main implementation barrier, with digital skills falling behind infrastructure development. This research contributes to the underexplored link between digital diplomacy and African international relations, demonstrating that the longevity of digital diplomacy depends more on institutional capacity to translate strategy into practice than simply the existence of digital platforms.