• Augustin Kibassa Maliba began an official visit on April 22 to strengthen digital ties with Tunisia
• Key meetings include sessions with Tunisia’s Ministry of Communication Technologies, ICT Federation (UTICA), and the African Business Council (TABC)
• Discussions center on digital transformation, postal modernization, and entrepreneurship collaboration

Congolese Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and Digital, Augustin Kibassa Maliba, began an official visit to Tunis on Tuesday, April 22, as part of an ambitious initiative to bolster bilateral digital cooperation between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tunisia.

During his stay, Minister Kibassa Maliba is scheduled for several key meetings, including a bilateral ministerial session at the Tunisian Ministry of Communication Technologies. He will also attend a presentation on the Ecom@Africa platform and postal services, and engage in discussions with the Tunisian ICT Federation (UTICA) and the Tunisian African Business Council (TABC).

The visit includes an immersive experience within the Smart Tunisian Technoparks (S2T) ecosystem, recognized for its programs supporting entrepreneurship and innovation, its research and training initiatives, as well as its internationalization strategies and networking of technological ecosystems.

A central focus of the discussions will be the proposed creation of a Technopark in Kinshasa, with the aim that exchanges with Tunisian digital stakeholders will lay the groundwork for enhanced technical collaboration. This mission aligns with a broader strategy by the Congolese government to structure an effective digital ecosystem, support local tech entrepreneurship, and connect the DRC to regional innovation hubs.

Tunisia has established itself as a significant technological player in Africa. According to the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) “Measuring Digital Development – Facts and Figures 2024” report, 92.8% of the Tunisian population uses the internet, a figure considerably higher than the global average of 70.5%. The country’s ICT Development Index (IDI) score is 77.2 out of 100, reflecting continuous progress.

In e-governance, the United Nations’ “UN E-Government Survey 2024: The Future of Digital Government” ranks Tunisia 87th globally (EGDI score: 0.6935), placing it third in Africa behind South Africa (0.8616) and Mauritius (0.7506).

Should these partnerships materialize, the DRC stands to gain from Tunisia’s expertise in digital governance, modernization of postal services, development of technological ecosystems, and support for entrepreneurial innovation. This collaboration would facilitate the transfer of skills in strategic sectors and expedite the digitization of postal services. It would also foster the implementation of joint projects, the sharing of best practices in integrating online public services, and the enhancement of the Congolese ecosystem’s connection to African digital and logistics networks.

By Samira Njoya,

Editing by Sèna D. B. de Sodji