Story by Yolanda Moyo
AFRICAN leaders attending the 2026 International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Regional Development Forum in Victoria Falls have called for urgent action to achieve universal and affordable internet access across the continent.
The two-day forum is focusing on strengthening digital infrastructure, improving cyber security, advancing artificial intelligence and securing sustainable funding mechanisms to accelerate Africa’s digital transformation agenda.
Addressing delegates, Zimbabwe’s ICT, Postal and Courier Services Minister, Honourable Tatenda Mavetera said Africa must move beyond being passive consumers of foreign technology and instead become creators of home-grown digital solutions.
She highlighted Zimbabwe’s ongoing initiatives aimed at expanding connectivity and strengthening digital sovereignty.
“Africa’s solutions will not be imported; they must be home-grown. In Zimbabwe, we have chosen not to wait. Through the Presidential Internet Scheme, we are connecting nearly 8 000 primary and secondary schools using satellite technology to ensure that no child in a rural classroom is left behind,” she said.
Honourable Mavetera also revealed that Zimbabwe is mobilising more than US$200 million towards the launch of a national communications satellite as part of efforts to improve affordable and reliable connectivity.
“This is not about prestige. It is about sovereignty and ensuring that every Zimbabwean has access to reliable and affordable connectivity on our own terms,” she said.
The minister added that Zimbabwe has launched a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy for 2026 to 2030, anchored by an AI Acceleration Centre, while government is also consolidating a harmonised National Data Centre to strengthen data protection and digital governance.
The forum is building on resolutions adopted during the Ninth ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference held in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November last year.
Delegates are expected to focus on five regional priorities running from 2026 to 2029, including climate-resilient infrastructure, cyber security, artificial intelligence ecosystems, digitalisation of small businesses and innovative funding models for connectivity projects.
Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau, Dr Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava stressed the importance of ensuring that digital transformation directly benefits ordinary citizens.
“We need not just more cables, but smarter, climate-resilient networks that reach the last mile. Connectivity must improve the lives of ordinary people, including women, children and persons with disabilities in remote rural communities,” he said.
Dr Zavazava also called on African countries to develop ethical and localised artificial intelligence systems capable of supporting the continent’s development priorities.
“Africa must not be a consumer of algorithms built elsewhere. We must become architects of ethical and localised artificial intelligence,” he said.
He further underscored the importance of cyber security, saying governments have a responsibility to ensure citizens are protected online as internet access expands.
The forum is also hosting a Partner2Connect matchmaking session linked to more than US$82 billion in global digital development pledges.
The gathering is expected to produce a regional roadmap for Africa’s digital transformation between 2026 and 2029, with emphasis on inclusive, meaningful and affordable connectivity across the continent.
