Eswatini has been selected as the African pilot country for the United Arab Emirates’ She Powers Africa Digital Academy, launching a continental programme to train women in high‑demand digital fields.
The initiative was formally unveiled on Wednesday during a virtual event attended by senior officials from both countries, marking the start of a training rollout that will begin with 50 women from government and government‑linked institutions before expanding nationally and across Africa.
It is the first collaboration of its kind between the UAE and an African nation and builds on engagements between ICT Minister Savannah Maziya and UAE leaders, including Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak.
Speaking at the launch, Maziya said the programme positions Eswatini at the forefront of Africa’s digital transformation and directly advances global gender‑equality goals.
“This training program ensures that African women are equipped to lead the continent’s digital transformation and participate fully in the digital economy.”
She said the initiative complements national investments under the Digital Eswatini Project and the Coders Eswatini partnership, which aims to train 300,000 emaSwati in digital skills, with at least half being women.
Encouraging the inaugural cohort, she said the participants were “pioneers of a continental movement” whose skills would inspire women and girls across Africa to pursue careers in science and technology.
She added that the partnership with the UAE lays the foundation for a future in which African women can innovate and lead in the digital economy.
The academy, led by the UAE’s General Women’s Union in partnership with the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority and the Digital Government Academy, will offer specialised training in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science, software development and IT operations.
The programme stems from a Memorandum of Understanding signed between Eswatini and the UAE during the 2025 United Nations General Assembly, witnessed by King Mswati III.
JN/APA