The Tanzanian Government has been taking pivotal steps to take the country’s digital transformation to next level. Tanzania aims to be the next most advanced economic hub in Africa soon by starting and implementing initiatives that will enhance the communication network. 

2024 saw the government begin several digital transformation projects in conjunction with the Ministry of Information, Communications, and Information Technology. UNESCO noticed the government’s endearing passion and effort to spearhead digital transformation and joined the bandwagon.

UNESCO’s Information and Communication assistant director, Mr Tawfik Jelassi, wrote a letter to Dr Nkundwe Mwasaga, Tanzania’s ICT Commission director, expressing the organization’s commitments.

Tanzania Gets Ready For Digital Transformation

Tanzania is ready to make long-lasting and stable digital changes. This commitment became real between 2023 and 2024 when the government began several initiatives to connect Tanzania to the rest of the world digitally. Below are actions that show that the country is moving ahead digitally:

The Boss (Mr Nape Mnauye) Declared It

Ministry of Information, Communications, and Information Technology boss, Mr Nape Mnauye, remarked about the nation’s immense growth in SIM card adoption and usage from 2023 to 2024. Mr Nape said that the registered SIM card users grew from 62.3 million in April 2023 to 72.5 million a year later.

That was a whopping growth of 16.4 per cent. He also noted that the number of mobile internet subscribers grew by 11.2 per cent. This was an increase from 33.1 to 36.8 million subscribers within one year. Those who began to use mobile payment services shifted from 44.3 to 53 million users in the same period.

Government Initiatives for Digital Transformation

Here are noteworthy government initiatives in the communication sector in 2024:

Digital Economy Strategy Framework – 2024 to 2034

The Tanzanian government’s most noteworthy achievement in the digital transformation sector in 2024 was laying the foundation for the Digital Economy Strategy Framework. Together with the Tanzania Technology Stack, her Excellency the President of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan, launched the 2024-2034 initiative on July 29, 2024.

It entails various programs that have impacted the digitalization journey for over a decade. Examples of these include the Jamii Namba, Jamii Malipo, and Jamii Data Shirikishi for Jamii exchange. The Jamii platforms operate under four sublayers, including paperless, cashless, consent, and presenceless. 

They address issues like hefty transaction costs, restricted access to financial services, and limited data sharing across public sector services. Working in tandem with such organizations, the government aims to increase digital expansion across the country.

It will bring broadband internet connectivity closer to minority communities in Tanzania and provide opportunities to gain digital skills. This will address digital literacy gaps and create a digitalization system that people can depend on.

Assessment of the National  Policies

The government via the Ministry of Information reviewed certain national policies in 2024. The first one was the National ICT Policy of 2016 and the other was the National Telecommunication Policy of 1997. It also went on to create the National ICT Policy 2024 and Tanzania Startup Policy drafts.

The 2024/2025 Ministry of Information’s budget discloses super ambitious goals. One of these is to finish the National ICT Policy of 2016 and assess the Cybersecurity Act of 2015. In 2025, the ministry will begin several infrastructural projects, including building 616 new communication towers in 713 wards. It will also start the 636 others to cover this sector comprehensively.

Another targeted development project this year entails the expansion of the National Optical Fiber Backbone in forty districts. The NOFB will also connect to the DRC through Lake Tanganyika.

A fresh agenda featured in this year’s budget is the establishment of data network centers all over Zanzibar and Dodoma. The team will spearhead the construction of a National Communications Security Center that will oversee and bolster Tanzania’s digital infrastructural projects.

The Ministry plans to create an e-commerce platform for doing online business transactions. The platform will help new online entrepreneurs transact beyond geographical without restrictions and access new markets. With the government support, the Ministry of Information will introduce artificial intelligence and robotic labs to the country.

It will also build six district-based ICT innovation centers, and drive entrepreneurship and innovation visions forward. The Ministry plans to start thirty ICT training programs for experts in long-term courses. It will also begin four hundred and fifty short-term ICT courses to train personnel that will manage its many digital transformation initiatives.

Verdict

Tanzania’s journey towards the achievement of a digital economy has gained notable momentum. The government and the Ministry of Information have created development initiatives, policies, and agendas that will see the country’s ICT infrastructural sector mature in the next 10 years.

The progressive strategy noted in its current fiscal budget will surely position the country as a regional leader in driving Africa’s digital transformation forward.