Zimbabwe has been selected to host the 6th Transform Africa Summit (TAS) from the 26th to the 28th of April 2023 at Victoria Falls, making it the first time the event is held outside Rwanda. The Transform Africa Summit is the leading African tech and digital event organized by Smart Africa, gathering over 5000 delegates from more than 100 countries to discuss the continent’s digital transformation across various sectors. The theme for this edition is “Connect, Transform and Innovate”. It will focus on aspects such as regulation and policy, digital infrastructure financing, capacity building and skills development, and digital continental trade.
According to Mr Lacina Koné, Director General and CEO of Smart Africa, the summit aims to make critical decisions for Africa’s socio-economic development through ICT. Heads of States, who constitute Smart Africa’s board, Ministers, International Industry leaders, and key players in the ICT will attend the three-day event. The summit will be open for public participation in exhibitions, multiple discussion panels, and roundtables.
“We are pleased to have our active member country Zimbabwe hosting us in the city of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. The TAS 2023 will once again underline the commitment of African Governments towards accelerating Africa’s digital agenda. We are welcoming all digital players from public and private sectors on the continent in April in Zimbabwe. 2023 is a landmark year for Africa’s digital transformation,” said Mr. Lacina Koné.
Emmerson Mnangagwa, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, will open the summit and welcome other Heads of State, including President Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, who is the Chairman of the Smart Africa Board and will convene a Board meeting at the summit.
The Smart Africa Alliance is an alliance of 36 African countries, international organizations, and global private sector players committed to accelerating sustainable socio-economic development and ushering Africa into the knowledge economy through affordable access to broadband and using ICTs. The alliance’s vision is to create a single digital market in Africa by 2030, bringing together Heads of State who seek to accelerate the digitalization of the continent and create a common market.
The Transform Africa Summit is geared towards connecting, innovating, and transforming the continent into a knowledge economy, thereby driving global competitiveness and job creation. The first edition of the Transform Africa Summit held in Kigali, Rwanda, in 2013 culminated in the adoption of the Smart Africa Manifesto document that aims to put ICT at the centre of member countries’ National Socioeconomic development agenda. The Manifesto aims to improve access to ICT, especially Broadband; improve accountability, efficiency, and openness through ICT, promoting the introduction of advanced technologies in telecommunications; put the private sector first; and leverage ICT to promote sustainable development.
