Zimbabwe To Host 6th Transform Africa Summit
By Desire Tshuma
Zimbabwe is geared to host the 6th Africa Transform Africa Summit in Victoria Falls in April.
Transform Africa Summit is an annual leading Africa Forum bringing together regional and global leaders from government, business and international organizations to collaborate on new ways of shaping, accelerating and sustaining Africa’s on-going digital revolution.
Addressing journalists in Harare at a press conference yesterday, ICT Minister Janfan Muswere said as a member of Smart Africa, Zimbabwe is committed to ensuring that technology can change lives of citizens in Zimbabwe and accros the continent.
“We are cognizant that this cannot be done alone and therefore we are extremely pleased to welcome the Smart Africa Alliance family to Zimbabwe’s prime resort town of Victoria Falls. We are proud to host delegates to the summit and this underlines our deep commitment to Africa’s development through ICT” said Muswere.
Heads of state who constitutes Smart Africa’s board, ministers of ICT, International Industry leaders and key players in ICT will attend the three- day event that starts on 26 April. Core decisions for Africa’s socioeconomic development through ICT will be made.
Connect, Transform and Innovate is the theme of this edition ( TAS23) where the focus will be on the regulation and policy digital infrustructure financing, capacity building and skills development and digital trade among other key aspects. Beyond the continental outreach, delegations from Estonia, Germany, Korea, Saudi Arabia and Serbia among other nations are expected to attend the summit.
President Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa will officially open the summit and welcome other heads of state including President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, who is the chairman of the Smart Africa Board, Senegalese President Macky Sall and President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi .
The summit will also convene key international organizations leaders such as madam Doreen Bogdan-Martin who is the secretary general of International Telecommunications Union along with H.E Wankele Keabetswe Mene of African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) and Deemah Al Yahya who is the secretary general of the Digital Cooperation Organization .
Smart Africa is the alliance of 36 African countries, international organizations and global private sector players tasked with Africa’s digital agenda with the vision to create single single digital market in Africa by 2030. Smart Africa was launched in 2013 by seven African heads of states and Zimbabwe joined in 2019 as member number 26.
TOP PIC: From left is POTRAZ Director Dr Machengete, Min Janfan Muswere and Garikai Nhongo, Smart Africa Division Manager.