Story by Owen Mandovha
ZIMBABWE’S drive towards a digitally enabled economy is attracting growing interest from local and international technology experts, with stakeholders identifying significant opportunities in the country’s rapidly evolving ICT landscape.
This emerged at the 2026 ICT Evolution Summit, which brought together policymakers, private-sector leaders and international technology firms to explore investment opportunities, strengthen partnerships and advance Zimbabwe’s digital transformation agenda.
Addressing delegates, the Minister of ICT, Postal and Courier Services, Honourable Tatenda Mavetera said Government continues to accelerate initiatives aimed at expanding connectivity, developing digital skills and narrowing the digital divide.
“We have made huge strides to bridge the digital divide through several programmes, including the Digital Skills Ambassador Programme and the Ethical Hackers Programme, which have so far trained more than 10 000 ethical hackers,” she said.
The summit highlighted growing confidence in Zimbabwe’s digital future, with industry players showcasing technologies designed to support businesses and strengthen the country’s digital infrastructure.
AFINET Enterprise Manager, Mr Kelvin Machiri said demand for dark fibre solutions is growing as organisations seek reliable and scalable connectivity.
“Dark fibre is proving to be a resilient internet solution in Zimbabwe, which is giving us an edge in terms of corporates putting Zimbabwe ahead of many countries in digital transformation,” he said.
International firms are also increasing their presence in the local market, drawn by opportunities created by Zimbabwe’s expanding digital economy.
Cybersecurity consultant Ms Jacqueline Mudzingiranwa, representing a French-based ICT solutions company, said Zimbabwe presents strong prospects for technology investment and innovation.
“Zimbabwe provides us with vast opportunities that are attractive to our business, and we are providing cybersecurity solutions to most high-end clients in Zimbabwe, and the transformation of the digital space is ideal for our product offering,” she said.
Cybersecurity, digital resilience and the rapid evolution of Artificial Intelligence dominated discussions at the summit, reflecting the growing importance of emerging technologies in shaping Zimbabwe’s economic future.
The gathering reinforced Zimbabwe’s ambitions to position itself as a competitive player in the regional digital economy, leveraging innovation, skills development and strategic partnerships to drive sustainable growth.
