MINISTER of Information, Communication and Technology Savannah Maziya says digital transformation is about improving lives and giving citizens back their most valuable resources, time and money.
This was shared by the minister while representing Eswatini at LEAP 2026 in Dubai. Delivering her remarks during the high-level panel held under the theme ‘Tech Voices: Nations Building What’s Next’, Minister Maziya highlighted the country’s progress in using technology to bring services closer to citizens. This includes digital healthcare and the Government in Your Hand app, which enables citizens to access and pay for essential government services through their mobile phones.
She said technology must create access, opportunity and dignity.
“Technology is supposed to serve the people. The era of waiting in line and having your whole day taken away from you is really a thief of dignity,” she said.
On the sidelines of LEAP 2026, Minister Maziya held high-level engagements with the Secretary-General of the Digital Cooperation Organisation Deemah Al Yahya, the Minister of ICT of Saudi Arabia Abdullah bin Amer Alswaha and Algeria Minister of ICT Sid Ali Zerrouki.
The engagements explored opportunities for collaboration to support young people, grow start-ups and create greater opportunities for women in the digital economy. Minister Maziya cautioned that technology is not a future possibility, but is already here.
“Technology is already here, like a flood,” she said. Alswaha said many women in his country were occupying roles in ICT. He said it was about what they want to do and the results they want to achieve. He said technology was a mechanism.
He added that this was why they had virtual hospitals in Saudi Arabia and 95% of court cases were also virtual.
He said there is no need to go to court and that this is beneficial for both the public and the judges. He said it saves time and reduces costs.
“It is about the output of what we want to use technology for,” he said.
