The 2nd Global Digital Forum is expected to bring together 750 international participants, including deputy prime ministers and digital development ministers, as well as other high-level guests. Head of the National Directorate of Studies and Planning at the Ministry of Communications and Digital Transformation of the Republic of Mozambique, Valéria da Conceição Zandamela Zavala, shared her expectations from the GDF’s 2026 edition ahead of her visit to Moscow.
Question: What are the main trends in the development of IT in the Republic of Mozambique, and what are the current priorities in terms of promoting the digital transition?
Valéria da Conceição Zandamela Zavala: The digital transition in Mozambique is driven by several core trends, such as the growing mobile coverage and the gradual expansion of broadband access. Mobile money solutions are also becoming increasingly popular and have already become instrumental for ensuring the accessibility of banking services.
The priorities include ensuring the digital transition for government services, i.e., creating an e-government, as well as upgrading taxation by introducing automated management systems, and also promoting online education and mobile healthcare, which we call m-Health.
Question: In your opinion, what sectors of the national economy need digital technology the most and which of them are treated as priority sectors when introducing IT solutions?
Valéria da Conceição Zandamela Zavala: I would point to agriculture, since it employs a larger share of the country’s population and has a direct bearing on livelihoods, as well as education and healthcare.
These days, the financial and banking sectors have been at the forefront in terms of introducing new technology, which can be explained by the existing requirements for carrying out transactions and safety measures. Apart from these two sectors, there are also telecommunications and major mineral extraction and energy projects, such as natural gas production in Cabo Delgado and coal extraction in Tete.
Question: How active has the Republic of Mozambique been using AI and what sectors could benefit the most from this technology by improving their performance, in your opinion?
Valéria da Conceição Zandamela Zavala: For now, AI applications are in their early days in Mozambique and remain quite sporadic, being mostly limited to pilot projects operated by private actors, tech start-ups and certain projects carried out by NGOs and academic institutions.
As for the most promising sectors, AI cam have a transformative effect on agriculture by streamlining the way we grow crops to address climate change. It can also improve disaster relief by offering better weather forecasting and enabling effective relief during floods and cyclones, and transform government and financial services, including by offering customers language support.
Question: What are the main challenges for your country in terms of the digital transition and building up its digital infrastructure?
Valéria da Conceição Zandamela Zavala: The first challenge deals with the lack of basic infrastructure, including reliable power supply in several regions outside of major urban centers, and the fact that the telecommunications infrastructure remains quite patchy and unreliable in rural areas.
Second, there are social and economic factors, including the affordability of internet access and smart devices, since the middle class can hardly afford them. This is coupled with poor digital literacy, which is another major obstacle.
Question: Seeking to achieve digital sovereignty alone or being open to the world and relying on global solutions – which of the two paradigms will prevail in the world, in your opinion?
Valéria da Conceição Zandamela Zavala: A hybrid approach will prevail for Mozambique and most of the developing world. It consists of introducing global solutions, i.e., platforms offered by tech giants and international infrastructure, for quicker adoption and better accessibility, while taking regulatory measures to protect citizens’ data and ensure national security. This would enable us to gradually move toward strengthening our digital sovereignty in the way we handle critical government data.
Question: What are your expectations regarding the upcoming forum?
Valéria da Conceição Zandamela Zavala: I primarily expect this forum to help strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation for accelerating the digital transition. We will pay special attention to strategic partnerships in cybersecurity, upgrading public administration, and sharing technological know-how and skills in keeping with the global sustainable development agenda.
