BY MFANUFIKILE KHATHWANE
MBABANE – The Kingdom of Eswatini has become the first African country to officially launch the She Powers Africa – Digital Academy for Empowering African Women in Digital Transformation, an initiative of the UAE General Women’s Union, positioning the country at the forefront of advancing women’s digital inclusion and leadership across the continent.
The initiative follows the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Governments of Eswatini and the United Arab Emirates during the 2025 United Nations General Assembly in New York, witnessed by His Majesty King Mswati III. It is the first programme of its kind between the UAE and an African country.
Honourable Minister of Information, Communications and Technology Senator Savannah Maziya played a key role in advancing the initiative through engagements with Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Mother of the Nation, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation.
Through these engagements, Minister Senator Maziya championed a continental programme aimed at accelerating women’s participation in the digital economy through strategic skills development, leadership and innovation.
Serving as Chairperson of the Smart Africa SDG5 Global Council, Minister Senator Savannah Maziya has also continued to advocate for international partnerships that promote digital transformation while advancing gender equality and the economic empowerment of women across Africa.
The programme forms part of Eswatini’s Digital Transformation Agenda and reflects Government’s commitment to equipping women with advanced digital skills and leadership capabilities to drive digital transformation within their institutions, businesses and communities.
Eswatini will serve as the pilot country for the She Powers Africa initiative, paving the way for its rollout across the continent. The programme will begin with 50 women from Government and Government-related institutions before expanding to reach more women across the country and, ultimately, across Africa.
The initiative also supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those promoting gender equality, quality education, decent work and reduced inequalities. It seeks to address barriers that have historically limited women’s participation in economic development, leadership, digital skills development and access to technology.
The virtual introductory session brought together senior leaders from Eswatini and the United Arab Emirates, including Her Excellency Noura Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Secretary General of the General Women’s Union; His Excellency Eng. Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, Director General of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA); and Minister Maziya.
The Digital Academy, spearheaded by the UAE’s General Women’s Union in partnership with TDRA and the Digital Government Academy (DGov Academy), will provide specialised training in Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Data Science, Software Development and IT Operations. The training is intended to equip participants with future-ready skills to lead digital transformation within their organisations and communities.
Delivering the keynote address during the Leaders Talk – Empowering Women through Digital Transformation, Minister Maziya described the launch as a defining moment for Eswatini.
“Today is particularly significant for Eswatini as we celebrate the induction of our first cohort into this prestigious Digital Academy. You have been selected because you have the potential to become digital leaders who will transform institutions, inspire communities and shape Africa’s digital future.”
She said Government remained committed to placing digital transformation at the centre of national development as a key enabler of Vision 2030. She highlighted continued investment in broadband infrastructure, digital public services and innovation through the Government in Your Hand (GIYH) platform, as well as the forthcoming World Bank-supported Digital Eswatini Project, which is expected to expand digital connectivity and equip emaSwati with critical digital skills.
Minister added.
“Connectivity creates opportunity, but skills unlock opportunity. That is why investing in people remains at the heart of our Digital Eswatini Agenda.”
She also highlighted Eswatini’s growing digital partnership with the United Arab Emirates through flagship programmes such as Coders Eswatini, which aims to equip 300,000 emaSwati with globally recognised digital skills, with at least half of the beneficiaries being women.
Encouraging participants to make the most of the opportunity, the Minister urged them to become champions of change.
“The knowledge you gain here should not only transform your own lives but also empower your communities and inspire the next generation of girls to pursue careers in STEM and digital technologies.”
She concluded by saying “Together, let us build an Africa where every woman has the opportunity to lead, every girl has the confidence to pursue STEM, and every nation has the capacity to thrive in the global digital economy.”
The first group of 50 participants is expected to undergo the specialised training before the programme is expanded, with Eswatini leading the rollout of the initiative across Africa.
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(Courtesy Pic)
