Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve [email protected]
THE International Telecommunication Union Regional Development Forum for Africa (RDF-AFR) 2026 has kicked off in Victoria Falls, bringing together policymakers, regulators, and industry leaders from across the continent to chart a path toward universal and meaningful connectivity.
The telecommunications forum which ends on Tuesday is running under the theme: Universal, meaningful, and affordable connectivity for an inclusive and sustainable digital future.
The forum is being hosted by the Government of Zimbabwe in cooperation with the Africa Telecommunications Union (ATU).
Zimbabwe is prominently represented across multiple high-level sessions.
The Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services, Tatenda Mavetera will officially open the ceremony before joining one of the sessions as a panellist, where she will address the continent’s digital development challenges, including connectivity costs and digital skills gaps.
Dr Gift Kallisto Machengete, Director General of POTRAZ, will speak at both the opening and closing ceremonies, while Dr Beaullah Chirume, Permanent Secretary in the ICT Ministry, joins another session to discuss financing regional initiatives following the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-25) in Baku.
Other key sessions include infrastructure development for universal connectivity, a Partner2Connect matchmaking roundtable, and presentations on the five regional initiatives for Africa adopted at WTDC-25, covering artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and digital applications.
The forum runs back-to-back with the 2nd African Preparatory Meeting for the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2026 (27-29 May).
derick.khumalo