Drones deliver medicine to rural areas in Malawi and monitor farms in South Africa but flying a drone is illegal in six African countries.
While some African countries lack drone laws or have chosen to ban drones altogether, others including Rwanda, Namibia, and South Africa have developed robust drone regulations to encourage the development and use of drone technology.
Algeria, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, and Senegal have all banned the use of drones, according to Weetracker.
These six African countries and 12 others around the world have made operating a drone a punishable offense, according to a master list of drone laws compiled by UAV Coach, a community of drone pilots and industry experts.
In Kenya, for example, if you’re caught operating a drone, you can be sentenced to one year in prison or a fine of up to $973, NairobiNews reports.
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However, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority has announced plans to lift its drone ban in the near future.
Flying drones in Kenya could become lawful in once new regulations that are being developed in line with International Civil Aviation Organization rules are approved by Kenya’s parliament, Techweez reports. This is expected to happen in 2020.
Other countries where drones are banned include Barbados, Brunei, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Nicaragua, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, and Uzbekistan, Weetracker reports.
