JOHANNESBURG – Eswatini has showcased its digital transformation agenda on a continental stage after Information, Communications and Technology Minister Savannah Maziya represented the country at the inaugural Google Cloud Summit Africa 2026 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The summit, held under the theme “Google Cloud is Building for Africa,” brought together government leaders, technology executives, policymakers, regulators and investors to discuss the future of artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital public infrastructure across the continent.
In one of the summit’s highlights, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged Minister Maziya during his opening address, placing Eswatini among the countries contributing to discussions on Africa’s digital future.
Maziya also participated in the exclusive Leaders Connect programme, where she joined senior government officials from Rwanda and Ethiopia in a panel discussion on the future of digital government.
The discussion focused on how governments can use artificial intelligence, voice technology and digital public infrastructure to improve access to public services while reducing barriers created by literacy and geography.
Drawing on Eswatini’s experience, Maziya presented the country’s Digital Eswatini Project and its flagship Government in Your Hand initiative, which seeks to make government services more accessible through digital platforms.
She said future public services should be built around citizens’ needs rather than requiring people to navigate complex government systems.
The minister also highlighted the importance of using artificial intelligence responsibly to improve service delivery while ensuring public trust and inclusion.
She said digital public infrastructure can help extend government services to rural and underserved communities and stressed the need to develop digital platforms that incorporate voice technology and local languages to make services more accessible.
“The future of government is not measured by how many offices citizens can visit, but by how many services they can access, anytime, anywhere. Digital transformation is about putting people first, and truly placing Government in Your Hand,” Maziya said.
On the sidelines of the summit, the minister met global technology leaders to discuss artificial intelligence, cloud computing and opportunities for collaboration that could support Eswatini’s digital transformation programme.
Her participation formed part of the country’s broader efforts to modernise public service delivery and position itself among African nations adopting digital technologies to improve government services and expand access to information.
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