MBABANE — Eswatini and the United Arab Emirates have launched Africa’s first She Powers Africa Digital Academy, a landmark initiative designed to equip women with advanced digital and leadership skills while accelerating their participation in the continent’s digital economy.
The programme makes Eswatini the first African country to pilot the UAE-backed initiative, which is expected to expand across the continent after its initial rollout.
The academy stems from a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two countries during the 2025 United Nations General Assembly in New York. The agreement was witnessed by His Majesty King Mswati III and laid the foundation for a strategic partnership focused on women’s empowerment through technology.
The collaboration was driven by Eswatini’s Minister of Information, Communications and Technology, Senator Savannah Maziya, following her engagement with Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Mother of the Nation and Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union (GWU). Maziya, who also chairs the Smart Africa SDG 5 Global Council, has been a strong advocate for international partnerships that promote women’s digital inclusion.
The first intake will consist of 50 women from government and government-related institutions. The programme will later be expanded nationally before being rolled out to other African countries under Eswatini’s leadership.
Why Eswatini was selected
The virtual launch brought together senior officials from both countries, including Her Excellency Noura Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Secretary General of the GWU, and His Excellency Eng. Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, Director General of the UAE’s Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA).
Al Suwaidi said the UAE initially knew little about Eswatini, but Minister Maziya’s vision for digital transformation and gender equality convinced its leadership that the country was well placed to lead the initiative.
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She said Maziya’s presentation inspired confidence among UAE leaders and demonstrated that Eswatini had both the commitment and ambition to serve as the programme’s continental pilot.
The academy, delivered by the UAE’s General Women’s Union in partnership with the TDRA and the Digital Government Academy, will provide specialised training in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science, software development and IT operations.
Delivering the keynote address, Maziya described the launch as a milestone for both Eswatini and Africa, saying the country was proud to become the first on the continent to host the She Powers Africa Digital Academy.
She said the initiative would help ensure African women are equipped to compete and lead in an increasingly technology-driven global economy.
Maziya also linked the programme to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality, saying it would help dismantle long-standing barriers that have limited women’s participation in technology and leadership.
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“We are placing inclusion, equity and opportunity at the centre of Africa’s digital future,” she said.
Supporting Eswatini’s digital transformation
The Minister said the academy forms part of Eswatini’s broader Vision 2030 agenda and complements the Digital Eswatini Project, which aims to strengthen the country’s digital public infrastructure.
She also highlighted the existing Coders Eswatini partnership with the UAE, an initiative that seeks to train 300,000 emaSwati in internationally recognised digital skills, with women expected to make up at least half of all participants.
Addressing the inaugural group of trainees, Maziya described them as pioneers of a movement that would inspire more women and girls across Africa to pursue careers in science, technology and innovation.
She said the partnership demonstrated what countries could achieve by investing in people and creating opportunities for women to innovate, lead and thrive in the digital age.
The launch marks another milestone in the growing relationship between Eswatini and the UAE, while reinforcing Eswatini’s ambition to position itself as a continental leader in digital transformation and women’s empowerment.
