New York – A team of Basotho software developers has represented Lesotho at the United Nations Open-Source Week 2026, held from 22 to 26 June at the UN Headquarters in New York, with the Kingdom’s Ministry of Information, Communications, Science, Technology and Innovation serving as one of the co-hosts of the global event.
The five-day event brought together governments, technology experts, innovators, development partners and open-source communities from around the world to discuss digital public infrastructure, open-source innovation and global digital cooperation.
Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Communications, Science, Technology and Innovation, Kanono Ramashamole, said the co-hosting role reflects Lesotho’s growing recognition in international digital transformation efforts and demonstrates the country’s commitment to advancing open-source technologies. 
The Basotho delegation was led by the Director General of ICT at the ministry, Thapeli Tjabane, and participated through a partnership between the ministry and Vodacom Lesotho, whose delegation was headed by Rorisang Motlomelo. Most of the participating developers are members of the Vodacom Software Factory initiative, while one participant represents the UNDP STEAM Programme.
Ramashamole said the collaboration shows the importance of partnerships between government, the private sector and development partners in creating opportunities for young Basotho to gain international exposure and strengthen their digital skills.
He said the participation was intended to expose local software developers to global best practices, open-source communities and practical digital public infrastructure solutions that can be adapted to support Lesotho’s development priorities.
Among the expected outcomes of the engagement is the development of a national open-source policy and the establishment of a vibrant open-source community in Lesotho, which Ramashamole said would create an enabling environment for developers, innovators, academic institutions, government and the private sector to collaborate on technology solutions addressing national challenges.
He noted that open-source technologies give countries such as Lesotho the opportunity to develop digital solutions in a collaborative, cost-effective and sustainable manner while enabling local developers to contribute to global innovation.
The initiative aligns with Lesotho’s National Digital Transformation Strategy, particularly its focus on digital skills development, innovation, digital government, digital public infrastructure and youth participation in the digital economy.
Ramashamole described the participation of Basotho software developers as an important step towards positioning Lesotho not only as a consumer of technology but also as an active contributor to open-source solutions, digital public goods and the global digital economy.
