On 16th-17th June 2026, Tanzania’s Tech & Media Convergence (TMC) hosted the Africa Innovation and Technology Forum (AITF) 2026 in Dar es Salaam.
The two-day event brought together government officials, technology experts, academics, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to discuss the country’s digital transformation agenda and the reforms required to unlock a trillion-dollar economy.
The forum examined key issues, including data sovereignty, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, internet governance, digital inclusion, startup regulation, and public-sector digital transformation.
A highlight of the event was the launch of the report titled “The Political Economy of Digital Governance in Tanzania: Pathways to ICT Sector Growth”, which argued that Tanzania’s next phase of economic growth will depend on creating an enabling digital policy environment that promotes innovation, investment, and cross-border digital trade.
The forum featured discussions on strengthening Tanzania’s cybersecurity ecosystem, with participants also exploring the future of internet governance in Tanzania, examining how policymakers can balance digital rights, security, innovation, and economic growth.
Discussions also focused on the role of regulation in supporting technological advancement while maintaining trust, protecting users, and safeguarding critical digital infrastructure.
Participants discussed inclusive digital development and examined ways to close connectivity gaps, emphasizing the need for affordable internet access, digital literacy, and responsive policy frameworks.
Youth participation emerged as another key topic as participants highlighted the growing role of young Africans in shaping digital governance, entrepreneurship, civic technology, and public engagement.
The discussions reinforced the importance of data governance, cybersecurity, digital infrastructure, internet governance, and innovation-friendly regulation in advancing Tanzania’s ambition to become a leading digital economy in Africa.
Parallel sessions examined a range of policy and technology issues affecting Tanzania’s digital future, including a coherent national digital governance architecture involving aligning ICT Regulation, Data Protection, Cybersecurity, Innovation, and Trade Policy.
Topics around E-Government, Citizen-Centered Digital Governance, African Data Centers and Cloud Infrastructure, and regulations that enable Innovation were discussed together with the implications of Tanzania’s data localization requirements.
Panelists emphasized that transformations in digital services can improve transparency, efficiency, and citizen engagement.
In his keynote speech, the Director General of Tanzania’s ICT commission, Dr. Nkundwe Mwasaga, highlighted the rapid pace of technological change and the need for Tanzania and Africa to actively shape their digital future rather than simply consume technologies developed elsewhere.
He noted that emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, are reshaping economies, governance systems, and societies worldwide, creating both opportunities and challenges for policymakers and regulators.
Dr. Mwasaga stressed that effective digital governance requires balancing innovation, cybersecurity, data protection, and economic development, while ensuring that digital technologies contribute to inclusive growth.
He also emphasized the importance of collaboration among governments, regulators, the private sector, academia, and civil society in developing policies capable of supporting Africa’s digital transformation.
The lead researcher of the report from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Professor Milton Mueller noted that Tanzania should shift from what he described as an architecture of control, toward policies that enable innovation and digital economic growth.
Prof. Mueller noted: “You cannot build a modern trillion-dollar digital economy with an infrastructure that is designed to contain and control people in the digital.”
He further called for reforms to data localization and cross-border data flow policies, arguing that excessive restrictions increase operating costs and limit opportunities for digital trade and innovation.
On her part, the Assistant Director of Systems Development and Compliance at Tanzania’s Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Dr. Angelina Misso, stressed the strategic importance of domestic digital infrastructure.
Dr. Misso noted: “When you’re able to build your own infrastructure, especially digital infrastructure, you’re now shifting from being a user or a consumer of digital services to being the one who makes the decisions.”
On his part, the President of the Information, Technology, and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), Daniel Castro, stressed the importance of an economy where AI and digital knowledge become mandatory and are integrated into education curricula.
He also highlighted the growing importance of cybersecurity capacity, institutional development, and national resilience as digital services continue to expand across the economy.
In his remarks, Daniel Sarungi, the Digital Transformation Lead at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, said digital transformation should focus on people rather than technology alone.
On his part, Sebastian Marondo, Chief Executive Officer of BTX Tanzania Limited, warned that ownership of digital infrastructure will increasingly determine economic competitiveness.
He added that whoever controls the infrastructure will control the economy and compared data centers to critical infrastructure such as ports, railways, and airports.
During panel discussions, the Executive Director of Jamii Media, Mike Mushi, emphasized the importance of minimizing unnecessary data collection and building trust between citizens and government institutions through better digital service delivery.
To access the report, please click here.
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