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Zimbabwe has been selected to establish a regional institution for training data protection officers from across the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The announcement was made by Dr. Gift Kalisto Machengete, Director General of the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) during the 2025 Cyber Security conference and Expo.
According to Dr. Machengete, SADC has formally written a proposal asking Zimbabwe to create a hub where it can train other SADC Data Protection Officers (DPOs). This development positions Zimbabwe, whose own Data Protection Act (CDPA) came into effect relatively recently, as a potential leader in shaping data governance standards within the bloc.
“This is despite the fact that the Zimbabwe Data Protection Act came into effect only recently after others had already started,” Dr. Machengete stated in his address.
The recognition suggests that SADC views Zimbabwe’s regulatory framework and implementation strategy as a model for other member states.
The initiative is expected to involve capacity-building programs for data protection professionals from across the region. Data Protection Officers are critical compliance roles within organizations, responsible for ensuring that the handling of personal information adheres to legislation like Zimbabwe’s CDPA and the SADC data protection model.
The move is likely to bring several benefits to Zimbabwe, including positioning the country as a center of regulatory excellence. It could also foster greater cross-border cooperation on digital policy and create a niche for local expertise in the growing field of data privacy.
The POTRAZ DG framed the achievement as evidence of the country’s capacity to “move mountains” in the digital regulatory space. He emphasized a collaborative approach to regulation, which may have contributed to the international endorsement.
While the specific timeline for the training institution remains to be detailed, the proposal marks a definitive step in elevating Zimbabwe’s profile within the SADC digital ecosystem. This signals regional confidence in the nation’s data protection authorities.
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