For households weighing the cost of data, small businesses hunting for reliable broadband, and young people building digital skills, the decisions made in Doha over three weeks this November will shape what connectivity actually looks like on the ground. That is the framing behind South Africa’s presence at the 2026 International Telecommunication Union Plenipotentiary Conference, known as PP-26, running from 9 to 27 November 2026 in Doha, Qatar.
The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) leads the South African delegation. The Plenipotentiary Conference, convened every four years, is the ITU’s highest decision-making body. Member States gather there to set the organisation’s strategic direction, policies and priorities for global telecommunications and the wider Information and Communication Technology sector.
What happens in those negotiating rooms filters down into everyday life. The priorities South Africa carries to PP-26, affordable access to digital technologies, the digital transformation of government and public services, digital and future skills, data and cloud infrastructure, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital inclusion, all carry consequences for how people participate in the economy, how they access services, and how secure the digital spaces they rely on become. The delegation is also advocating for inclusive and equitable access to digital technologies, meaningful participation in the digital economy and sustained efforts to bridge the digital divide, so that all countries and communities can share in the benefits of digital transformation.
South Africa’s position is grounded in its own national planning. Its engagement draws on the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030, the National Digital and Future Skills Strategy, the Roadmap for the Digital Transformation of Government, the National Data and Cloud Policy, the e-Government Strategy and an emerging national artificial intelligence policy framework. These priorities are reinforced by South Africa’s G20 Presidency and the work of the G20 Digital Economy Working Group, led by the DCDT, which advanced universal and meaningful connectivity, digital public infrastructure, digital innovation and emerging technologies as key enablers of inclusive economic growth and sustainable development.
At the heart of the country’s message is a simple argument about fairness. South Africa maintains that the ITU’s strategic direction, programmes and resource allocation must respond to the implementation needs of developing countries and translate into measurable improvements in connectivity, affordability, digital skills, resilience and productive participation in the digital economy. The point, as the delegation frames it, is to ensure that international ICT cooperation genuinely helps close the digital divide and advances Africa’s development priorities.
Meanwhile, a contest is underway. The conference will elect the ITU’s five elected officials and members of the ITU Council, the Union’s governing body between Plenipotentiary Conferences. South Africa is seeking re-election to the Council, and throughout the conference its delegation will engage with Member States and other stakeholders, sharing the country’s vision and respectfully seeking their support. As a current Council member, South Africa has worked alongside fellow Member States to strengthen the Union’s governance and advance an inclusive global ICT agenda. Re-election would allow the country to build on that contribution and continue participating in the Council’s strategic deliberations and decision-making on the global ICT ecosystem.
The candidature rests on a set of principles South Africa says it will keep championing: equitable and efficient access to radio-frequency spectrum and satellite-orbital resources; expanded broadband connectivity through fibre, resilient infrastructure and safe digital ecosystems; an open and accessible standardisation environment that supports developing countries and emerging innovators; and a commitment to interoperability, technology neutrality and interconnected ICT ecosystems. South Africa also supports the use of ICTs to advance the Sustainable Development Goals and climate-resilient development, alongside strong financial oversight within the ITU and efficient use of resources to strengthen programme delivery.
If re-elected, South Africa intends, across the 2027 to 2030 term, to contribute to implementing the WSIS+20 outcomes and advancing the SDGs, to support practical progress on digital public infrastructure, the resilience of submarine cables and the safe and equitable use of artificial intelligence, and to keep advocating for child online protection and early-warning systems. As one of the Council members representing Region D, South Africa will also continue working with fellow African Member States to ensure the continent’s priorities, including digital inclusion, affordable and meaningful connectivity, technological innovation and capacity development, receive due attention in global ICT discussions.
The full context of South Africa’s hosting and participation role is available at https://africa.com/apo/south-africa-communications-and-digital-technologies-hosts-2026-international-telecommunication-union-plenipotentiary-conference. Through its participation at PP-26, the DCDT reaffirms the country’s commitment to international cooperation, multilateral engagement and stronger partnerships among Member States, and it looks forward to the continued confidence and support of the ITU membership as the global community works towards an inclusive, secure and sustainable digital future for all.