06 Mar 2024

Government, through the Ministry of Communications, Knowledge, and Technology,  is collaborating with Estonia to develop the Botswana Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy.

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi  said  this Tuesday during  a panel discussion at the Botswana Digital and Innovation Hub (BDIH) as part of President Alar Karis of Estonia’s state visit.

The President  expressed interest in partnering with Estonia to implement the SmartBots Strategy, focusing on smart agriculture, e-governance, research, and innovation.

The proposed areas of cooperation include sharing best practices in Cyber Security, initiatives in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, strategy implementation, and utilising emerging technologies such as Big Data, Micro Service Architecture, Robotics, and AI.

The  panel discussion was held under the theme; Digital Transformation - An Imperative for Economic Growth and Competitiveness.

He emphasised the importance of innovation and collaboration in driving economic development.

Botswana aims to emulate Estonia’s success in digitalisation and offer itself as a technology gateway to Africa.

“Our bilateral relations have already unlocked partnerships mainly in the areas of Information Communication Technology (ICT), digital transformation and e-taxation,” the President explained.

The two countries have ongoing partnerships in ICT, digital transformation, and e-taxation, with Botswana striving to digitise all sectors of its economy and provide connectivity to all residents by 2025.

Additionally, President Masisi said  Botswana was committed to inclusivity by ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital revolution.

However,  the President said  there were challenges such as high transit connectivity costs since Botswana relied  on neighbouring countries  which have access to undersea  Internet.

Moreover, President Masisi said  Botswana was one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world, leading to high per-capita connectivity costs.

But, Dr Masisi said Botswana remained dedicated to overcoming obstacles and leveraging partnerships for digital growth.

For his part, President Karis highlighted Estonia’s significant progress in digitalising public services over three decades.

He said nearly all public services were accessible online, with initiatives like e-voting dating back to 2005.

“Services such as applying for passport, registering a company or accessing medical service are all done online,” Mr Karis said.

Mr Karis said Estonia focused on user-friendly technology, free Internet access as a social right, and advanced cybercrime detection technologies.

“We are able to detect cybercrime in seconds. We have invested a lot in technology,” he said.

 To date, Mr Karis said 90 per cent of households had access and were connected to the Internet while three quarters of the population in Estonia was covered with 5G network.

This, he said  showed government commitment to digital innovation and inclusive service delivery.

“We are eager to collaborate, share experiences, and promote digital transformation to drive economic growth and improve service delivery for their citizens,” President Karis said. Ends