Pria Chetty brings extensive expertise in digital policy and regulation to her role as Executive Director at RIA. With a career spanning over two decades, she has advised global technology firms, intergovernmental organisations, national governments, and regulators on critical issues such as data governance, AI regulation, cybersecurity, digital economy and trade, and digital inclusion.
Pria’s professional journey includes heading the digital policy and regulation practice area at Genesis Analytics’ Centre of Digital Excellence (C0DE), and the Regional Director of technology law and policy advisory firm EndCode. Prior to this, she headed the Southern Africa technology law practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
Her impact extends to working with international organisations. She served as a Regional Data Protection Advisor to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and a Data Protection Advisor to the African Union (AU). In these roles, she spearheaded efforts to develop model frameworks, laws, and policies for African countries, fostered multistakeholder consultations, and guided national legal reforms. Pria has also worked with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office, leading education, skills, and digital inclusion policy and programmes.
As a thought leader, Pria has presented at numerous international conferences and published widely on technology law and policy, focusing on addressing the unique challenges of developing countries. Her contributions to regional and international expert groups and advisory boards further underscore her commitment to shaping inclusive and equitable digital governance frameworks. These include her election to the Global Council of the International Fund for Public Interest Media; her advisory position to the Centre for Communications Governance and to the Global Network Initiative’s Strategic Multistakeholder Dialogue; and an appointment to a Panel of Experts to guide the multi-year programme on the social dimensions of the Digital Economy, hosted by Wits University and sponsored by the South African Department of Science and Innovation.
Pria has received several awards and recognition for her work and contributions including being named as one of the Top 50 Inspiring Women in Tech.
Pria is completing her doctoral studies at the University of Cape Town, focusing on legal reforms to enable open government data implementation.
