Moroke Sekoboto
ECONET Telecom Lesotho (ETL) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have reaffirmed their shared commitment to harnessing digital technology, innovation and strategic partnerships to transform lives, strengthen institutions and accelerate Lesotho’s socio-economic development.
The commitment was formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at Mpilo Boutique Hotel on Tuesday.
The agreement seeks to strengthen collaboration in driving digital transformation, artificial intelligence (AI), innovation and entrepreneurship as key catalysts for inclusive and sustainable development.
The MoU was signed by ETL Chief Executive Officer, Dennis Plaatjies, and UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, Dr Taye Amssalu. It builds on a partnership that began in 2020 and was expanded in 2022 to harness digital technologies in support of Lesotho’s national development priorities.
The renewed partnership reflects both organisations’ shared vision of creating a digitally empowered Lesotho where technology improves lives, expands economic opportunities and enhances public service delivery.
Under the agreement, the two organisations will cooperate across three strategic pillars.
The first focuses on digital transformation, connectivity and AI, including support for digital public infrastructure, AI adoption, broadband connectivity, cloud technologies and digital solutions aimed at improving service delivery across key sectors.
The second pillar centres on innovation ecosystem development, research and capacity building through initiatives such as the University Innovation Pod (UNIPOD), the establishment of a National AI Academy, research collaborations, innovation challenges and skills development for young people and innovators.
The third pillar seeks to promote entrepreneurship, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and strategic partnerships by supporting digital entrepreneurship, expanding access to finance, advancing AI-enabled business solutions, developing technology-driven value chains and strengthening collaboration between the government, academia, development partners and the private sector.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mr Plaatjies described the agreement as another milestone in ETL’s commitment to helping shape Lesotho’s digital future.
He said connectivity had evolved beyond communication and had become the foundation for innovation, economic growth and inclusive development.
“Our partnership with UNDP has continued to evolve over the years. Beginning with our first MoU signed in 2020, and further strengthened through an amendment in 2022, we have consistently worked together to harness digital technologies in support of national development priorities.
“Today’s agreement represents the next chapter of that journey — one that reflects the rapid evolution of technology and the opportunities it presents for our country.”
Mr Plaatjies said ETL’s investments in expanding and modernising its network were aimed at ensuring Basotho benefit from emerging technologies such as AI and cloud computing.
“At ETL, we have always strongly believed that connectivity is only the beginning. Behind every investment we make in our network is a larger purpose — to empower people, enable businesses, connect communities and unlock opportunities that improve lives.
“Over the past few years, we have invested significantly in expanding and modernising our network, making it ready to support emerging technologies like AI and cloud computing. This ensures Basotho remain on par with the rest of the world by accessing faster, more reliable and more resilient digital connectivity.”
He said ETL was committed to ensuring that the technological delays experienced by many African countries due to inadequate physical and digital infrastructure become a thing of the past for Basotho.
Mr Plaatjies also revealed that the Econet Group had entered into an agreement with global AI computing infrastructure leader NVIDIA to secure sufficient AI computing capacity for the African market.
“ETL has made sure that Lesotho can also pride itself on having sovereign data and cloud infrastructure that will ensure the localisation of Basotho datasets and innovations.
“But we recognise that infrastructure alone is not enough. It will only be through partnerships such as the one we have with UNDP that Lesotho will not only be infrastructure-ready, but also ready in terms of policy and human capital to fully exploit the possibilities that AI brings.”
He announced that the Econet Group would soon unveil AI-powered innovations for Africa, with Basotho expected to benefit from sovereign AI solutions in areas including healthcare and agriculture.
“AI, digital public infrastructure, cloud computing and advanced connectivity are fundamentally reshaping economies across the world. They are transforming healthcare, education, agriculture, financial services and the government.
“For Lesotho, this presents an extraordinary opportunity — not simply to adopt these technologies, but to shape how they are used to improve the lives of our people across the country.”
Mr Plaatjies welcomed initiatives such as the proposed National AI Academy and the continued expansion of the University Innovation Pod ecosystem.
“These programmes will help develop future-ready skills in AI, data science, cybersecurity, software development and other emerging technologies that will define tomorrow’s economy.”
For his part, Dr Amssalu said the strengthened collaboration would support the implementation of Lesotho’s emerging AI policy framework while promoting ethical, secure and inclusive AI development.
He said the partnership would also strengthen local innovation ecosystems through research, technology transfer, start-up incubation and strategic investment partnerships.
“Digital transformation is one of the most powerful enablers of sustainable development. Through this strengthened partnership with Econet Telecom Lesotho, we aim to support Lesotho in building inclusive digital ecosystems that create jobs, strengthen institutions, improve public service delivery and ensure that no one is left behind in the digital age.”
Dr Amssalu said the renewed partnership would contribute significantly to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals while positioning Lesotho as an emerging regional leader in digital innovation and artificial intelligence.
“As Lesotho continues its digital transformation journey, ETL and UNDP believe this renewed partnership will contribute meaningfully towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals while positioning the country as an emerging regional leader in digital innovation and AI.”
