The EU-EAC Regional Co-creation Workshop on Digital Transformation was officially launched on 30 September in Arusha, Tanzania. The workshop, co-organised by the EAC Secretariat and the European Union and facilitated by the Digital for Development (D4D) Hub, aimed to advance a human-centric approach to digital transformation in East Africa.
The two-day event gathered stakeholders from the East African Community (EAC) region, including delegates from all EAC Partner States, representatives from the Ministries of ICT and Cybersecurity Agencies, Ministries of Trade, Central Banks, e-Government Agencies, and the EAC Secretariat. It also included participants from the European Union Delegation and EU member states and their development agencies, such as GIZ, MFA/EstDev, and MFA/Expertise France.
The workshop features deep-dive sessions on e-commerce and payment, e-governance, cybersecurity, and national-regional inter-linkages. It aims to facilitate a co-design approach and generate critical recommendations for collaboration to shape a digital economy package for East Africa.
In 2022, EAC began discussions with Partner States to accelerate its digital transformation. In collaboration with the European Union, the EAC Regional Digital Transformation Conference in October 2023 identified seven strategic areas for engagement: connectivity, data governance, e-governance/cybersecurity, e-commerce, ICT regulations, digital innovation, and digital skills. Short-term actions included boosting the data economy across borders, establishing electronic cross-border health services, and developing a cross-border e-payment system. With support from GIZ, the EAC developed the Digital Transformation Strategy, scheduled for launch in November 2024. This workshop aims to review progress on digital development collaboration, support the formulation of the Safe Digital Boost for Africa (SDBA) initiative, and initiate the appraisal process for a digital economy package tailored to East Africa.
“This project is not just about technology; it is about the future success of our entire region. It represents a strategic move towards creating an interoperable regional digital market that will drive innovation, economic growth, and inclusive development,” stated the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Customs, Trade and Monetary Affairs, Ms Annette Ssemuwemba at the opening of the workshop.
“By fostering digital trade and integrating technology into key sectors such as e-commerce, data governance, and cybersecurity, we aim to transform lives across East Africa and create a competitive edge for our region in the global economy,” she added.
During the event, Marc Stalmans, EU Head of Cooperation, emphasised the EU’s commitment to supporting digital transformation in East Africa. He mentioned the success of previous engagements and highlighted the joint efforts launched at last year’s EU-EAC Regional Conference on Digital Transformation. Hussein Jaffar, D4D Hub Deputy Coordinator for Africa, emphasised the role of the D4D Hub as a platform to identify synergies and support joint European initiatives based on extensive cooperation experience between Africa, the EU, and its Member States.
