The technological multinational Huawei signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Southern African Communications Regulators Association (CRASA) to drive digital transformation in South Africa.
According to what was revealed to the press, it will allow the two parties to exchange information and ideas on ICT policies and regulations, carry out joint research on network security, data protection, digital inclusion policies and emerging technologies such as 5G, as well as organize capacity building activities through meetings, workshops and trainings.
The memorandum was signed during the 11th annual meeting of CRASA, which took place in the country's capital, Luanda, Angola, and was attended by delegates from the 13 member countries.
“I appreciate the efforts that Huawei has put into introducing the most innovative ICT technologies in SADC in recent years, and sharing its tremendous global experience and know-how in contributing to the development of the region. We will deepen cooperation with Huawei to further accelerate digital transformation for inclusive growth in the region“, said Bridget Linzie, Executive Secretary of CRASA.
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Africa's digital transformation accelerated rapidly during the pandemic and is expected to continue to grow in the post-pandemic era, where ICT infrastructure and services will become more and more indispensable for industry growth and people's lives.
"I am happy that CRASA will have Huawei as a strategic partner to shape the region's ICT future, supporting connecting the unconnected and bridging the region's digital divide. In this age of digital economy, it is extremely important to create an enabling environment to leverage new technologies like 5G to boost social economic development and enhance cybersecurity and data protection. CRASA looks forward to fruitful cooperation with Huawei in these specialized areas“, said Alfred Marisa, representing the president of CRASA.
"Huawei is pleased to have the privilege of establishing a partnership with CRASA to accelerate the development of ICT in the region. We have been working with key stakeholders across our industry to build a healthy ecosystem to realize our vision of bringing digital to every person, home and organization to build a better connected and smarter world.“, said Yang Chen, vice president of Huawei Southern Africa Region, “We believe that with our joint efforts between Huawei and CRASA, more people will be able to benefit from the growth catalyzed by the development of ICT".
It should be noted that CRASA is a technical advisory body in southern Africa with 13 countries as members (Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe) focusing, inter alia, on developing regulatory models and harmonizing ICT regulatory frameworks in order to improve the business environment of the communications sector and the investment climate in SADC.
