TICON Africa and CANTO have entered into a strategic collaboration aimed at strengthening digital cooperation between Africa and the Caribbean. The agreement is designed to support joint initiatives in ICT development, policy dialogue, skills building, and innovation across both regions.
The partnership connects CANTO, a regional organisation representing telecommunications operators, regulators, and technology providers across 33 Caribbean countries, with TICON Africa, a pan-African professional body focused on ICT advancement through research, conferences, and capacity development.
Africa–Caribbean digital cooperation framework
The two organisations are positioning the collaboration around shared priorities, including digital trust, infrastructure resilience, workforce readiness, and inclusive participation in the digital economy. The initiative is also intended to deepen institutional linkages between the two regions.
Teresa Wankin, Secretary General of CANTO: “For 40 years, CANTO has championed the Caribbean’s digital future and this partnership with TICON Africa marks an exciting new chapter in that journey. Africa and the Caribbean are not distant counterparts; we are parallel economies navigating the same digital imperatives, and we have far more to gain from collaboration than from operating in silos. Through this partnership, we are creating a genuine bridge, one that connects our industries, elevates our voices on the global stage, and places women and youth where they belong: at the centre of the conversation. We look forward to building something that is lasting, practical, and transformative for both regions.”
Joint focus on skills, policy, and innovation
The organisations plan to prioritise knowledge exchange programmes, professional development initiatives, and collaborative research efforts. The partnership also aims to support greater participation of women and young professionals in digital sectors across both regions.
David Gowu, President of TICON Africa: “This partnership with CANTO represents an important milestone in TICON Africa’s mission to connect Africa’s ICT professionals, institutions, and innovation ecosystems with like-minded partners across the world. Africa and the Caribbean share strong historical ties, but we also share a common digital future, one shaped by the need for trusted infrastructure, relevant skills, inclusive leadership, and practical collaboration. Through this partnership, we want to move beyond dialogue and create real opportunities for knowledge exchange, professional development, research, policy engagement, and youth and women’s participation in the digital economy. TICON Africa is proud to work with CANTO in building a bridge between our regions that is purposeful, inclusive, and focused on long-term impact.”
First joint event set for June 2026
The partnership will launch its first joint initiative with a virtual masterclass scheduled for 11 June 2026. The session, titled Bridging Africa and the Caribbean’s Digital Future: Positioning Women & Youth at the Centre of Digital Cooperation, will run for 60 minutes and include open discussion among participants from both regions.
The event will address topics including resilient ICT ecosystems, skills development and leadership pathways, as well as innovation, trade, and institutional partnerships. It will serve as a platform for early engagement between stakeholders in Africa and the Caribbean digital sectors.
Roadmap aligned with major ICT conferences
Insights from the masterclass are expected to inform programming for upcoming sector events, including the CANTO Annual Conference and Trade Exhibition scheduled for August 2026 in the Dominican Republic, and the TICON Africa Conference in September 2026 in Zambia, co-hosted with the African Marketing Confederation and the African Supply Chain Confederation.
The collaboration between TICON Africa and CANTO is positioned as an ongoing framework to support structured engagement between the two regions, with an emphasis on practical outcomes in ICT development and cooperation.
