Job Opportunity
Position: Senior Programme Officer – ICT
Organisation: Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat
Location: Gaborone, Botswana (Headquarters) or as stated in the job advert
Closing Date: Friday, 26 June 2026 at 12:00
Background
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is a regional economic community founded and maintained by countries in Southern Africa. It aims to further socio-economic, political, and security cooperation among its Member States and foster regional integration in order to achieve peace, stability, and wealth.
SADC currently has sixteen (16) Member States with a population of approximately 340 million and a combined GDP of US$720 billion.
The Secretariat is currently recruiting for various positions to enhance its capacity to deliver on the above mandate. The Secretariat is therefore inviting suitably qualified and experienced citizens of SADC to apply for the following position.
Primary Purpose of the Job
- Facilitate and coordinate the development, implementation and M&E of policies and programmes aimed at building a cost-effective and integrated Telecommunications and ICT Infrastructure and achieving reliable, affordable and universal access to ICT services in the SADC Region.
- Manage the efforts and performance of the team falling under the responsibility of the Senior Programme Officer.
Key Responsibilities
Policy Development and Harmonisation
- Commission and coordinate research/studies to identify Telecommunications and ICT strategy, policy and regulatory gaps in the region.
- Coordinate the development, strengthening and harmonisation of Telecommunications and ICT strategies, policies, regulations, guidelines, standards and systems.
- Coordinate the approval and adoption of the Telecommunications and ICT strategies, policies, regulations, guidelines, standards and systems by the SADC Structures.
- Facilitate the implementation of the Telecommunications and ICT strategies, policies, regulations, guidelines, standards and systems by Member States.
- Coordinate the development, review and monitoring of the implementation/domestication of the relevant Protocol falling under the purview of this unit.
Research and Information Dissemination
- Manage the collection of information and data relevant to this focal area.
- Identify priority areas, commission studies, and use/interpret the findings to feed into the planning process.
- Coordinate the development and maintenance of a centralised database on this focal area.
- Manage the dissemination of relevant data through the SADC website and other forms of media, including social media platforms or through reports to SADC Institutions.
- Undertake research work – Think Tank Approach.
Strategic Planning and Programming
- Identify key areas of interventions in the Telecommunications and ICT sector.
- Coordinate the development of long-term, medium and short strategic plans/Programme of Action for the Telecommunications and ICT.
- Facilitate the adoption of the Strategic Plans by various policy structures.
- Undertake periodic reviews of the Strategic Plans.
- Prepare Annual Corporate Plan and Risk Register for the Telecommunications and ICT infrastructure sector.
- Facilitate and coordinate implementation of capacity building initiatives for the design, development, implementation, maintenance and operations of regional Telecommunications and ICT infrastructure networks; monitor and evaluate the success of the interventions.
- Conceptualize and develop projects/programmes to implement the Strategic Plan.
- Support resource mobilisation for programme implementation as and when required by PPRM.
- Undertake steps to promote and strengthen Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).
- Partnerships for infrastructure development, resource mobilisation, funding and operations.
Programme Implementation
- Coordinate project preparation to ensure availability of a pipeline of bankable projects.
- Facilitate implementation of the Telecommunications and ICT infrastructure related programmes/projects aimed at:
- The development, construction, maintenance and rehabilitation of regional infrastructure networks; and
- The establishment and strengthening of regional institutions (including CRASA, SATA and SAPOA) and frameworks for coordination of infrastructure and services.
- Manage project staff and consultancies.
- Develop and agree on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), targets and criteria in line with SADC M&E system for monitoring the implementation of projects by Member States.
- Monitor implementation of programmes/projects and evaluate their impact.
- Prepare reports, documents and annotated agendas for submission to various policy structures of SADC.
- Implement Ministerial and Technical meeting decisions directed to SADC Secretariat which relate to the ICT sector.
- Implement risk management measures as outlined in the ICT Division’s Risk Register.
- Implement audit recommendations pertaining to the ICT sector.
- Contribute to the development of the SADC Annual Report.
- Share programme impact and lessons.
- Identify and build relationships with external stakeholders (e.g. development agencies, policy, and research organisations) that are critical to delivering the unit’s objectives and programme.
- Liaise with other directorates to ensure mainstreaming of cross-cutting issues (e.g. Gender, Youth, HIV/AIDS, Poverty, ICT, STI etc.) into own programmes.
- Ensure joint/synergised planning and programming for programmes that have cross-cutting implications/linkages with other programme directorates and units in the Secretariat.
- Liaise with SATA, CRASA and SAPOA on general implementation of SADC Programmes, as required.
- Liaise with Continental and International Organisations (ATU, PAPU, ITU, UPU) where relevant in pursuing implementation of SADC Programmes.
Tenure of Appointment
The term of appointment shall be for a fixed period of four (4) years, renewable twice for another period of four (4) years, subject to:
- Satisfactory completion of 6 months’ probation
- Satisfactory performance
- Retirement age limit of 60 years
Eligibility
The positions are open to qualified applicants who:
- Are 52 years old or younger
- Are from the following eligible Member States:
Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe
Submission of Applications
Applications must be submitted to the SADC National Contact Point of the eligible Member States not later than or on 26 June 2026.
Required Documents
Applications should be accompanied by:
- A cover letter stating the position applied for and describing how qualifications, experience, and competencies are relevant
- Not more than five (5) pages of updated Curriculum Vitae
- Certified copies of degree(s), diploma(s), and certificate(s)
- Duly signed and completed SADC Application Form
Shortlisted candidates will be required to produce evidence of educational and professional qualifications on the day of the interview.
Gender Mainstreaming
SADC is an equal opportunity employer and particularly encourages applications from female candidates.