The Commission has collaborated with the Central Statistical Office (CSO) under the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development to conduct an Information and Communication Technology Access and Use Survey (ICTAUS) in selected areas and households in Eswatini. This is the first time that such a survey is being done in Eswatini. This is a demand side survey that seeks to:

• Establish the level of access and use of ICT services and products by Households and Individuals in Eswatini(including amongst people living with disabilities);
• Evaluate the demographic dimensions related to access and use of ICTs in Eswatini; Examine the extent of online risks, incidents and mitigation measures (Cybercrime and Security) among households;
• Establish perceptions on quality of service and affordability of ICT services and products; and
• Provide recommendations related to increasing access and use of ICTs in Eswatini. Furthermore, the survey will provide statistical information on emerging developments and issues in the ICT market in Eswatini. These include the level of participation in ecommerce, use of e-government services, awareness on cybersecurity and privacy rights and responsibilities. The survey exercise will start on Monday, March 7, 2022 and will run till the end of May.

WHY THIS SURVEY?

Eswatini currently does not have official statistics for ICT access and usage levels. These are critical for reports that are submitted to regional and international bodies such as Southern African Development Community (SADC), The World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Such statistics also help with national planning, developing evidence-based programs targeted at improving affordability, access, user satisfaction and quality of service and ultimately putting in place effective regulatory market interventions.

ROLES OF KEY PARTIES

The Central Statistics Office is the official statistical agency responsible for the gathering of ‘data collecting, processing and disseminating’ and for ‘coordinating, monitoring and supervising the National Statistical System’ in Eswatini. Their involvement gives credibility and endorsement to the results of the survey. The role of CSO will be focused on the core statistical activities of the survey. These include aspects such as: Methodology – how the study will be designed for statistical validity; Sampling – coming up with the necessary strata for national representation; Data Collection -the actual interviews with the target population; Data Processing – data cleaning and editing to remove inconsistencies; Weighting – aggregating data for national representation; and Analysis and Report writing – coming up with the final report with the desired statistics. ESCCOM is the regulatory body responsible for the telecommunications, broadcasting as well as postal and courier services in Eswatini. It is alsoo the ICT National Observatory Focal Point in Eswatini. The Commission is the subject expert on ICT matters and their technical expertise will ensure that the results of the survey address the key issues within the sector.

WHAT IS MY ROLE AS A CITIZEN?

All Emaswati, one way or another, make use of communication services. It is in everyone’s interest that these are widely accessible, of good quality and affordable. The survey teams will be collecting information in households and from individuals who are users of these services. The public is requested to cooperate by allowing access to and supporting the data collectors to administer the questionnaire. The selected respondents are encouraged to provide accurate information, that will depict the prevailing circumstances.

HOW DO I IDENTIFY THE SURVEY OFFICIALS?

All enumerators and data collectors will wear T-shirts with the logos of both Eswatini Government and ESCCOM. They will also have name tags with their names and pictures, as a form of identification. The team cars will also be branded with both logos on the sides. Confidentiality and data privacy is guaranteed, the information collected will strictly be used for the purpose that it was collected. Let’s all cooperate as the results of this activity are very critical in the country’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) development and the economy as a whole.

For more information, do contact the Commission on info@esccom.org.sz or call 2406 7000. You can also follow our social pages.