Pretoria: The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies has congratulated its Director-General, Nonkqubela Jordan-Dyani, on her appointment to the International Advisory Body for Submarine Cable Resilience.

According to South African Government News Agency, the advisory body was established by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in collaboration with the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC). Its primary goal is to foster dialogue and collaboration on strategies to strengthen the resilience of submarine cables, a crucial infrastructure supporting global communications and the digital economy.

The increased reliance on digital infrastructure has spotlighted the resilience of submarine cables. The advisory body will act as a platform for international multistakeholder collaboration, uniting governments, regulatory authorities, industry leaders, and key stakeholders to enhance the safety, redundancy, and protection of submarine cables, the department stated on Monday.

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Africa is home to 11 submarine cables, significantly contributing to bridging the digital divide in society. The department noted that Jordan-Dyani’s extensive experience and expertise, gained over nearly two decades in the sector, will be instrumental to the advisory body. Her guidance will be invaluable to the team, which will be co-chaired by Minister Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy of Nigeria, and Professor Sandra Maximiano, Chair of the ANACOM Board of Directors in Portugal.

For more information on the advisory body, visit: https://www.itu.int/en/digitalresilience/submarine-cables/Pages/members.aspx.