• Mozambique launched the process to draft a National Digital Transformation Strategy to expand ICT access and support inclusive growth.

• About 80% of Mozambicans remained offline in 2024, highlighting a large digital gap, according to the ITU.

• The government aimed to use the strategy to mobilize investment and international support while improving economic resilience.

Last week, Mozambique officially launched the process to draft the National Digital Transformation Strategy. The roadmap aimed to leverage the country’s geographic, energy, and demographic potential, while linking these assets with public digital infrastructure to promote inclusive development and strengthen economic resilience.

The authorities held the launch on February 12, during a special session of the National Conference on Digital Transformation, which took place from February 11 to 12.

According to the government, the strategy design will include regional and national consultations, the definition of a vision, priorities, and performance indicators, the setting of strategic objectives and an action plan, and the establishment of monitoring, evaluation, and governance mechanisms. The authorities said the process will conclude with a participatory validation.

“A nationally designed and owned strategy, coherent and pragmatic, can serve as a foundation to mobilize investment and international support, consolidating digitalization as a cross-cutting enabler of economic transformation, social inclusion, infrastructure development, and environmental sustainability in the country,” said Lourino Chemane, chairman of the board of the National Institute of Information and Communication Technologies (INTIC).

This initiative unfolded amid an acceleration of digital transformation across Africa, where many countries integrate ICT across sectors to support socio-economic development. Within this context, Mozambican authorities increased efforts to expand access to mobile services.

According to the International Telecommunication Union, mobile penetration reached 79.9%, while mobile internet penetration stood at 20.5%.

Mozambique ranked 177th out of 193 countries in the 2024 United Nations E-Government Development Index (EGDI), with a score of 0.2848 out of 1.
 The score remained below sub-regional (0.3903), African (0.4247), and global (0.6382) averages.

In cybersecurity, the country placed in the third tier of the 2024 ITU Global Cybersecurity Index, with significant room for improvement in legal, technical, and capacity-building areas.

This article was initially published in French by Isaac K. Kassouwi

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum