On a journey to transform Eswatini’s Digital landscape, the Ministry of ICT is relentlessly pursuing a digital Agenda. Demonstrated by the commitments to the “Government in Your Hand” project, the ministry is implementing the Eswatini Digitalisation Strategy 2024-2028.
According to the 2024 edition of the United Nations E-Government Survey – Accelerating Digital Transformation for Sustainable Development, nations and regions worldwide have intensified their efforts to advance digital government strategies and Eswatini is proud to be amongst the first countries in the African region to implement the UNDP Digital Readiness Assessment (DRA).
The DRA serves as a comprehensive tool to evaluate the country’s digital maturity, identifying gaps and opportunities in key areas such as governance, infrastructure, digital literacy, and accessibility. By providing a clear understanding of the current digital landscape, the Assessment equips Eswatini with actionable recommendations to shape policies, prioritize investments, and foster an inclusive digital ecosystem that supports sustainable development.
The Assessment, conducted by the Ministry of Information, Communication, and Technology (MICT) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Eswatini Economic Policy Analysis and Research Centre (ESEPARC) depicts that Eswatini’s digital readiness is at the “systematic,” stage, with an overall score of 2.6 out of 5. This means that the country is progressing steadily in key areas of digital transformation while some gaps need to be addressed to reach the transformative stage. According to the DRA findings, Eswatini ‘s digital ecosystem is driven by strengths in the people, economy and government pillars while digital public infrastructure, connectivity, and regulation lag behind.
DRA Report Key to Advancing Digital Transformation
Honourable Minister of ICT, Savannah Maziya, emphasised the importance of the DRA findings in realising the government’s digital transformation strategy. “The findings of this report will help to address issues of connectivity, accessibility, affordability and reach” remarked the Minister. The report identifies critical gaps in legislation, infrastructure development, digital literacy gaps and the development of the digital ecosystem, which will guide government investment and decision-making in transforming the country. The Minister noted that the report will provide a benchmark for government to measure progress towards achieving digital transformation in the country and pave the way for integrated digital services nationwide.
Henrik Franklin, the UNDP Resident Representative, echoed these sentiments, formally handing over the report to the Minister in a symbolic step forward for the nation’s digital agenda. He encouraged the country to use the results of the report to chart the way forward for the digital agenda, and to harness the full potential of technology for the development of Emaswati.
Key Findings and Recommendations
In her presentation, Tengetile Hlophe from ESEPARC provided an in-depth analysis of Eswatini’s digital performance across six pillars: connectivity, people, digital public infrastructure, government, regulation, and economy. Under the government pillar, the findings show that although a national digital strategy is in place, digitalisation holds only moderate political support. Atleast 64% of stakeholders acknowledge the strategy’s implementation, yet half perceive it as delayed, citing issues like weak design, insufficient political backing, lack of sufficient financial support, and limited institutional coordination. For digital public infrastructure, duplicated processes and the absence of an interoperability framework were highlighted by respondents as a major limitation in the Eswatini digital space.
The study further reveals that despite the availability of public Wi-Fi, poor internet connectivity, especially in schools remains a critical issue. Expanding data infrastructure with energy-efficient data centres and establishing equitable internet access nationwide is critical to addressing some of the connectivity challenges. Moreover, digital exclusion, particularly among the elderly, people with disabilities, and rural populations, was found to be a challenge, therefore, building inclusive digital public services was identified as a priority.
Validation and Stakeholder Engagement
The Digital Readiness Assessment (DRA) Validation Workshop was held on November 13, 2024, at the Hilton Garden Hotel in Mbabane, where stakeholders from public and private sectors were present. Following the presentations, stakeholders formed groups to review, prioritize, and discuss potential barriers to the recommendations for each pillar. The validation round was followed by a rigorous Q&A session, where participants engaged with a distinguished panel that included representatives from UNDP,MITC, MTN Eswatini, the World Bank, InstaCash, and the International Telecommunications Unit. These discussions provided valuable insights and drew diverse perspectives on the findings and proposed solutions.
The Digital Readiness Assessment Validation Workshop not only highlighted Eswatini’s digital progress but also fostered critical dialogue among stakeholders. With strong attendance and active participation, the event underscored a collective commitment to addressing gaps and seizing opportunities for transformation. As the nation moves forward towards e-government, the findings and recommendations from this workshop will serve as a roadmap for achieving a more inclusive and robust digital ecosystem.
