Hon Tatenda Mavetera, Minister of Information, Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services of Zimbabwe, and Other Ministers here present and online
Dr Machengete, Director General POTRAZ, and other Directors General of Regulatory Authority here present and online,
Secretary-General of ATU, Mr John Omo,
Heads of Other UN Agencies,
distinguished delegates,
ladies and gentlemen,
It is an honour to address you here at Victoria Falls at this Regional Development Forum for Africa. You may already know, locally this place is known as Mosi-oa-Tunya – “The Smoke that Thunders.”
Standing here, it is impossible to ignore the raw power of nature. But today, as we open the 2026 Regional Development Forum, I feel a different kind of thunder. It is the thunder of data travelling through fibre-optic cables under the savannah. It is the roar of digital innovation scaling across borders. It is the sound of a continent refusing to wait any longer for a seat at the high table of the digital economy.
Let me say something about the Urgency of Now
We meet at a critical juncture. The world is racing toward 2030, and Africa is determined to define the terms of its own digital future. This year’s theme— “Universal, meaningful, and affordable connectivity for an inclusive and sustainable digital future”—is not just a slogan. It is a security strategy for our economic sovereignty.
Too often, "connectivity" has been a privilege for the urban few. We are here in Victoria Falls to declare that this era of digital apartheid must end.
Just six months ago, the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC) in Baku gave us a powerful new weapon: the Regional Initiatives for 2026-2029.
This is our technical blueprint for victory.
• AFR1 challenges us to build resilient infrastructure. We need not just more cables, but smarter, climate-resilient networks that reach the last mile.
• AFR2 focuses on an inclusive AI ecosystem. Africa must not be a consumer of algorithms built elsewhere; we must be the architects of ethical, localized AI.
• AFR3 focuses on building trust, safety, and security in the use of telecommunications /information and communication technologies; we must keep people safe when they go online.
• AFR4 is about our MSMEs and innovators. We must digitize the informal sector and turn our village entrepreneurs into global players.
• AFR5 is about sustainable funding mechanisms for Africa’s digital transformation; we must forge partnerships for Impact. Let us be blunt: Connectivity is the highway, but affordability is the fuel. We need innovative funding mechanisms—as outlined in AFR5—to ensure that data costs do not crush the dreams of a young coder in Harare or a mobile money vendor in Kigali.
We launched the “Partner2Connect" Coalition for digital development. But I must say, a blueprint on paper is just art. We need action. Just two weeks ago, when the UN Secretary General was inaugurating the new United Nations Office in Nairobi, he is reaffirming the central role that Africa plays in the life and future of the United Nations.
He said, and I cannot agree more, that “Africa is a driver of solutions, a source of innovation, and a voice of moral clarity in our shared pursuit of peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights.” He mentioned Africa’s talent, dynamism, and determination.
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
This forum is unique because we are moving from dialogue to deployment via the Partner2Connect (P2C) matchmaking. We are not just identifying gaps; we are committing and shaking hands on the partnerships that will close the usage gap. As of today, we have over eighty-three billion dollars of pledges. But we must accelerate implementation.
Let us use these rooms to forge one African voice. In Baku, we saw the power of unity. Your common proposals were heard. In November, when we meet for the Plenipotentiary Conference, the world must hear Africa’s thunder again. We stand united on all the topics adopted as Africa’s Regional Initiatives.
Ladies and gentlemen,
As you know, we just concluded the 2026 edition of the global Symposium for Regulators in Ankara, where over one thousand participants gathered to discuss the complexities of today’s digital landscape. I encourage you all to make full use of the GSR-26 Best Practice Guidelines as they outline innovative approaches to advance evidence-based regulation, stronger cross-sector coordination, responsible experimentation, and regional and international cooperation.
At GSR-26, we launched two important products to support sustainable digital development for all:
The Connectivity Planning Platform, or CPP, developed in partnership with our ITU-D Sector Member Ericsson, serves as our engineering blueprint for governments to plan, prioritize and accelerate the deployment of digital infrastructure; while the Global Economic Model Study, GEMS, developed with CST of Saudi Arabia, helps regulators assess the socio-economic impact of connectivity investments.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The “Smoke that Thunders” never stops. It pushes forward relentlessly. So must we.
The young people of Africa are not interested in excuses about infrastructure costs or legacy regulations. They want access. They want opportunity. They want to build.
Let the smoke of our resolve thunder across the continent.
Our Regional Director will later, present to you the state of connectivity across the region and some of our projects to bring forth even more connectivity.
When we say, BDT4IMPACT we mean BUSINESS!
Thank you!
