By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Zimbabwe is seeking
partnerships with Indian technology and IT services companies to create jobs,
increase export earnings and attract investment in digital infrastructure
through the India–Africa Tech and Entrepreneurship Summit hosted in the
country.
Minister of ICT, Postal and
Courier Services, Tatenda Mavetera, welcomed delegates to Zimbabwe for the
summit, hosted by the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) and its
chairman, Dr Busisa Moyo.
Mavetera said the summit’s
theme, “Stronger Ecosystems, Stronger Entrepreneurship”, reflects the need for
infrastructure, policy certainty, capital and skills to help entrepreneurs
scale their businesses.
She cited India’s startup
ecosystem as an example, noting its growth from a few hundred startups to more
than 200,000, with more than half located outside major metropolitan areas.
According to Mavetera, India
achieved this growth through a whole-of-government approach, including opening
public procurement to startups, developing staged capital pipelines and
treating digital infrastructure as a public good.
She said partnerships with
Indian business process outsourcing (BPO) and IT services firms could create
employment opportunities for Zimbabwe’s young, English-speaking workforce while
positioning the country as a nearshore destination for BPO and IT services
serving African and global markets.
The minister also identified
skills transfer as a key opportunity, with potential training and certification
in artificial intelligence, data, cybersecurity and service delivery.
Investment in data centres,
connectivity and joint ventures could further strengthen Zimbabwe’s ICT sector
and support the growth of its digital economy.
Mavetera also highlighted
Pangolin AI as a platform through which local firms could access sovereign
infrastructure to develop their businesses.
She stressed that Zimbabwe
was seeking mutually beneficial partnerships rather than aid.
“We are not asking for
charity. We are asking for co-creation — and we bring the talent, the location
and the reforms,” she said.
Mavetera welcomed the
leadership of ZIDA and Moyo in hosting the summit, saying their approach
ensured that initiatives moved forward without delays.
