The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat will convene a Regional Workshop on Strengthening Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Statistics and Enhancing the SADC ICT Observatory, under the framework of the SADC Regional Statistics Project funded by the World Bank and will be held from 25th to 29th August 2025 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. The workshop will be hosted at the Pullman Hotel.
The workshop aims to support the implementation of the SADC Protocol on Statistics and the SADC Digital Transformation Strategy through the enhancement of the SADC ICT Observatory. Key objectives include reviewing SADC statutory decisions and international efforts related to ICT observatories, exploring the integration of mobile phone data (MPD), geospatial tools, and big data into statistical systems, and reviewing proposed broadband indicators and targets for 2030.
The event will also feature capacity building sessions on geospatial mapping across the disaster management cycle, case studies from SADC Member States on national ICT observatories, and a review of the draft SADC Regional ICT Facts and Figures Report. A dedicated session will update the status of Memoranda of Understanding between National Statistics Offices, Ministries, and Regulatory Authorities to strengthen coordination and data sharing on ICT indicators.
The workshop forms part of regional efforts to modernise and harmonise ICT data systems and improve the quality, accessibility, and comparability of ICT statistics across the SADC Region. The participants will include ICT Observatory Focal Point Persons from Ministries and Regulatory Authorities, as well as National Statistics Offices from SADC Member States.
