On April 22, Augustin Kibassa Maliba, the Minister of Posts, Telecommunications, and Digital in the Democratic Republic of Congo, began an official visit to Tunisia aimed at strengthening bilateral digital cooperation. The visit includes several high-level meetings with Tunisia’s Ministry of Communication Technologies, the ICT Federation (UTICA), and the African Business Council (TABC), focusing on digital transformation, postal modernization, and entrepreneurship collaboration.
During his visit, Minister Kibassa Maliba is set to attend a bilateral ministerial session at the Tunisian Ministry of Communication Technologies, where he will also participate in a presentation on the Ecom@Africa platform and postal services. Additionally, he will engage in discussions with key players in Tunisia’s tech and business sectors, including the Tunisian ICT Federation and the Tunisian African Business Council.
A highlight of the visit will be an immersive experience at the Smart Tunisian Technoparks (S2T), which is known for its support of entrepreneurship and innovation, research and training initiatives, and internationalization strategies for technology ecosystems.
The discussions also focus on the proposed creation of a Technopark in Kinshasa, as the Congolese government looks to strengthen its digital ecosystem and connect with regional innovation hubs. The aim is to establish a strong partnership with Tunisia’s digital stakeholders to foster technical collaboration and promote local tech entrepreneurship.
Tunisia, a leader in African digital innovation, has made significant strides in technology. According to the International Telecommunication Union’s 2024 report, 92.8% of Tunisia’s population uses the internet, surpassing the global average. The country’s ICT Development Index (IDI) score of 77.2 reflects its ongoing digital progress. Tunisia’s efforts in e-governance have also been recognized, with the United Nations ranking Tunisia 87th globally in the 2024 E-Government Survey, third in Africa after South Africa and Mauritius.
If these partnerships materialize, the DRC stands to benefit from Tunisia’s expertise in digital governance, postal service modernization, technological ecosystem development, and innovation support. This collaboration would help transfer skills in key sectors, accelerate the digitization of postal services in the DRC, and enhance the country’s connection to African digital and logistics networks.
