BY PHUMELELE GAMEDZE
MBABANE– As Africa embraces a new era of artificial intelligence and digital governance, Eswatini is increasingly earning continental recognition, with the Kingdom showcasing its digital transformation achievements on one of Africa’s biggest technology platforms.
The Kingdom of Eswatini strengthened its position as an emerging digital transformation leader after the Minister of Information, Communications and Technology, Savannah Maziya, represented the country at the inaugural Google Cloud Summit Africa 2026, held in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The high profile summit, convened under the theme “Google Cloud is Building for Africa,” brought together global technology executives, African heads of government institutions, policymakers, regulators, investors and digital infrastructure experts to discuss how artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) can accelerate Africa’s economic and social development. The event also marked Google’s announcement of new investments aimed at advancing AI infrastructure, digital skills and cloud technologies across the continent.
In a moment highlighting Eswatini’s growing influence in continental technology discussions, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa formally acknowledged Minister Maziya during his keynote address at the opening ceremony, where he welcomed African leaders participating in the summit.
As part of the exclusive Leaders Connect programme, Minister Maziya joined senior government representatives from Rwanda and Ethiopia for a high-level panel discussion titled, “A New Era of Digital Government: The Multi Modal State Erasing the Literacy Divide with Voice, Video and AI-Driven Digital Public Infrastructure.”
During the discussion, the Minister presented Eswatini’s ongoing digital transformation journey, highlighting the Digital Eswatini Project and the flagship Government in Your Hand initiative as examples of how technology is being used to make public services more accessible, secure and citizen centred.
Addressing delegates, Minister Maziya said digital transformation is fundamentally about improving people’s lives rather than simply modernising government systems.
“The future of government is not measured by how many offices citizens can visit, but by how many services they can access, anytime, anywhere. Digital transformation is about putting people first, and truly placing Government in Your Hand.”
She further outlined four priorities that should shape the next generation of public services across Africa: placing citizens at the centre of service delivery; using artificial intelligence responsibly to improve efficiency while building public trust; expanding Digital Public Infrastructure to reach rural and underserved communities; and embracing voice technologies, local languages and user-friendly platforms to ensure technology narrows rather than widens the digital divide.
The Minister said Eswatini’s vision is to build a government that is digital by design, enabling citizens to conveniently access essential public services through innovative digital platforms that simplify everyday interactions with government.
Beyond the panel discussions, Minister Maziya also engaged with global technology leaders and industry experts, exchanging knowledge on artificial intelligence, cloud innovation and digital infrastructure while exploring partnerships that could further accelerate Eswatini’s digital transformation agenda.
The Google Cloud Summit Africa comes at a time when governments across the continent are increasingly investing in cloud technologies and AI to improve service delivery, strengthen digital economies and enhance public sector efficiency. Google announced several initiatives during the summit aimed at expanding AI research, digital skills development, startup support and cloud infrastructure across Africa.
Eswatini’s participation reflects the country’s growing commitment to leveraging technology to improve governance while positioning itself among African nations shaping the continent’s digital future.
According to information published on the Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology Facebook page, the Kingdom is determined not only to adopt emerging technologies but to contribute meaningfully to Africa’s digital transformation agenda by ensuring innovation remains inclusive, accessible and people-centred.
As artificial intelligence continues to redefine public service delivery across the continent, Eswatini’s presence at Africa’s inaugural Google Cloud Summit signals its ambition to become an active contributor to building a smarter, more connected and digitally inclusive Africa.
Source: Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology Facebook page, with additional background information from Google Cloud and the Presidency of South Africa.
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(Courtesy Pic)
