By Charles Mkoka
Tanzania’s data protection regulator (PDPC) has announced a new national certification programme for data protection officers as part of broader efforts to strengthen privacy governance and accelerate the country’s digital economy ambitions under Vision 2050.
Speaking at the conclusion of a three-day personal data protection conference held at JNICC in Dar es Salaam, the head of the regulator, Dr. Emmanuel Mkilia, said the forthcoming Certified Data Protection Authorized (CDPA) programme will be officially launched on 13 July 2026 in partnership with the Open University of Tanzania.
The training, which will be delivered both online and in-person, is aimed at improving the competence of data protection officers (DPOs) and reducing privacy risks emerging from increasingly complex digital business processes.
Dr. Mkilia said the initiative is intended to shift enforcement toward compliance support rather than punitive action, noting that structured dialogue with industry stakeholders was critical to effective regulation.
The conference brought together participants and regulators from East African countries, including Kenya and Uganda, alongside experts from South Africa, South Sudan and Germany. Officials said the discussions reinforced the need for harmonised approaches to data protection across the region, given shared regulatory and technological challenges.
According to organisers, Tanzania drew lessons from Kenya’s early experience in implementing data protection frameworks, while emphasising the importance of continued regional collaboration to support the growth of a digital economy.
Mkilia said PDPC has adopted a “holistic approach” that integrates both public and private sector perspectives in implementing data protection laws. The model also includes engagement with international experts to broaden technical and policy perspectives.
Participants in the conference included panelists from multiple jurisdictions and sectors, who contributed to a more comprehensive understanding of privacy risks embedded in different business models.
Officials also confirmed that the CDPA certification programme will target data protection officers across institutions to improve compliance capacity and strengthen organisational risk management.
Fatma Alovia, representing the Ministry responsible for information and communications technology, delivered closing remarks on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, formally concluding the conference.
The regulator said the initiative marks the beginning of a structured national training framework designed to professionalise data protection practice and support Tanzania’s wider digital transformation agenda.
