24 Jun 2025

Efforts are underway in Botswana to develop a digital strategy that guarantees universal high speed internet connectivity across the country.

Participating in a high level dialogue titled: The Race to Connect: Investing in Africa’s Digital Backbone’ at the ongoing US-Africa Business Summit in Angola, President Advocate Duma Boko said the country was determined to invest in digital infrastructure that was efficient,  high quality and widely spread.

President Boko said Africa needed inter-connectivity that was effective and fundamental to opening up trade corridors. He said it was unfortunate that in a modern world where technology was important, production areas in the continent were still hard to reach. As such, President Boko said digitalisation was the cornerstone and turning point for Botswana and Africa’s economic growth.

He said it was important for the continent to be efficient and curb wastefulness of resources that could go a long way in growing its economy and improve the lives of its people. The President urged Africa to take advantage of the evolving technology by building data centres of hyper scale, robust and of high information security. He emphasised the need to bring Africa together, arguing that collaboration, understanding audience, having a common policy and a vision were the foundation to prosperity and desired growth for Africa.

“All African leaders must find each other, open markets, trade among themselves and raise the economy of the young and dynamic Africa,” said President Boko.

He also urged African governments to have durable partnerships with the private sector. The private sector, the President said should be given a platform to unleash their ingenuity and innovation to propel the development agenda forward and grow the economy. President Boko said for government to get it right in its development endeavour, it must engage the private sector in the planning processes.

“Get full understanding of what the private sector need and government must do what it knows best to facilitate such,” he said.

President Boko said Africa was wrestling with realities that were unique to the continent, which were obstacles to establishing itself as a technological hub. As such, he said policies that were in line with developing and digitalising the continent must be harmonised adding that the free trade agreement must be the turning point. President Boko said the continent recently launched the Digital Free Trade Protocol setting a foundation that would leap frog the technological development and bring the continent together.

“We need Africa to be the vanguard of excellence and that will take harmonisation of policies,” he said.

President Boko said the difficulty that was faced by Botswana was that its National Development Plan, was planned and finalised without private sector involvement. He said the new government had started a process of the National Transformational Strategy, where the development agenda would include the private sector. The President said the strategy would involve all players and guide government in developing infrastructure that would address challenges at hand. He further said some of the skills that were lacking in government were in abundance in the private sector.

“In some instances government does not have the skills required to execute a project. There is also lack of agility in government and the reluctantly to act,” he said.

President Boko said government will during the winter Parliament session table a Digital Services Bill that will result in the establishment of the Digital Services Act. He said he was hopeful it will address all challenges at hand as the bill was drafted after thorough consultation. The President said Africa had an opportunity to do it right under a harmonised environment and serve with agility and urgency. ENDS