Southern African countries are all mulling over developing a common digital migration strategy. From April 27 to 29, they will conduct a virtual workshop on the sidelines of the 41st annual conference of the Southern African Telecommunications Association (SATA) under the theme "ICT Connectivity and Service Delivery for the Benefit of All: Transforming our Society through Broadband and ICT Delivery for the Benefit of All: Transforming our Society through Broadband and ICT Developments."

During this high-level meeting of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the body in charge of coordinating sub-regional ICT development, some 200 participants from Angola, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, DRC, Eswatini, Mozambique, Tanzania, Malawi, Mauritius "will share their experiences on a wide range of topics, including technology and infrastructure, policy and strategy for the future of the telecommunication industry," SATA says.

The digital readiness for the fourth industrial revolution is not the same among the Southern African countries. While some, such as Mauritius, South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia, have achieved a significant level of digital development, according to Cisco's Digital Readiness Index, others, such as Malawi and Lesotho, are lagging and are jeopardizing the synergy of future economic and commercial exchanges in the sub-region.

At the end of the upcoming consultations, SATA member countries will have defined the strategic guidelines that are essential for the development of connectivity and digital services in the sub-region. Waziri Kindamba, the Managing Director of Tanzania Telecommunications Corporation Limited (TTCL) - the incumbent operator in Tanzania, will also officially become the President of the SATA. He will replace Sherry Singh, the chief executive officer of Mauritius Telecom.

Muriel Edjo