MBABANE- Eswatini has become the first African country to launch the She Powers Africa Digital Academy.
This programme will train women in digital skills as part of a partnership between the Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The programme follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the governments of Eswatini and the UAE during the 2025 United Nations General Assembly in New York. The agreement was witnessed by His Majesty King Mswati III and forms part of cooperation between the two countries on digital transformation.
Eswatini will serve as the pilot country for the programme, which will begin with 50 women from government and government-related institutions before being expanded to include more participants locally and in other African countries.
The academy is offered by the UAE’s General Women’s Union (GWU) in partnership with the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) and the Digital Government Academy.
Participants will receive training in Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Data Science, Software Development and IT Operations.
According to government, the programme forms part of Eswatini’s Digital Transformation Agenda and seeks to increase women’s participation in the digital economy by strengthening their technical and leadership skills.
The initiative was developed following engagements between Information, Communications and Technology Minister Senator Savannah Maziya and Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the UAE’s General Women’s Union.
Maziya, who also chairs the Smart Africa SDG5 Global Council, said the programme aligned with government’s efforts to place digital transformation at the centre of national development.
Addressing participants during the virtual launch, she said those selected for the first intake had an opportunity to contribute to digital transformation in their respective institutions and communities.
She said government continued to invest in broadband infrastructure, digital public services and innovation through the Government in Your Hand platform, while preparations were under way for the World Bank-supported Digital Eswatini Project, which is expected to expand connectivity and digital skills development. “Connectivity creates opportunity, but skills unlock opportunity. That is why investing in people remains at the heart of our Digital Eswatini Agenda,” Maziya said.
She also referred to Coders Eswatini, another programme being implemented through cooperation with the UAE, which aims to equip 300 000 emaSwati with internationally recognised digital skills, with at least half of the beneficiaries expected to be women.
Maziya encouraged participants to apply the knowledge gained through the academy in their workplaces and communities and to encourage more girls and women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
The virtual launch was attended by senior officials from Eswatini and the UAE, including General Women’s Union Secretary General Noura Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority Director General Eng. Majed Sultan Al Mesmar and Minister Maziya.
Government said the programme supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on gender equality, quality education, decent work and reduced inequalities. It also forms part of broader cooperation between Eswatini and the United Arab Emirates in digital transformation and skills development.
