By Ross Moyo
Google’s Senior Vice President, James Manyika, has been honored with the best ICT Special Recognition Award at the Zimbabwe ICT Excellence Awards 2025. The award recognizes Manyika’s outstanding contributions to the tech industry and his leadership in the field of information and communication technology as well as being a second to none findi in the realm of Artificial Intelligence (ai).

The google boss Manyika, who is originally from Zimbabwe, is the second most powerful man at Google holding a senior position at the world’s largest search engine and oversees initiatives related to technology and society. He is a Rhodes Scholar and has earned a DPhil, MSc, and MA from Oxford, with a focus on AI, robotics, mathematics, and computer science.

The ICT Special Recognition Award is a testament to Manyika’s hard work and dedication to the tech industry. He is a role model for many young Zimbabweans and his achievement is a source of pride for the country.

Other notable winners at the awards ceremony included Dr. Cosmas Zavazava, who was recognized for his contributions to the telecoms sector, coming in as first runner up and Dr. Chief Sifundo Moyo, who was honored for his work in the postal and courier services sector as second runner up.

Zimbabwe ICT Excellence Awards recognize excellence in 23 categories, including ICT Innovator of the Year, Best e-Government Initiative, and Cybersecurity Initiative of the Year. The awards ceremony was attended by government officials, industry leaders, and stakeholders from the ICT sector with an international flavor that included the google boss in the 23rd category he was recognized in.

Minister of ICT, Postal and Courier Services, Hon. Tatenda Anastacia Mavetera, spoke glowingly on the sector’s progress, including the meaning of James Manyika’s best award.

“James Manyika’s win is a testament to the country’s potential in the tech industry,” Minister Mavetera said. “We are proud to recognize his contributions to the global tech community and look forward to his continued success.”

Manyika is the Senior Vice President at Google-Alphabet and as the President of Research, Technology & Society, he focuses on driving Google’s most ambitious innovations in AI, computing, and scientific advancements, particularly concentrating on areas that can positively impact society. Apart from his responsibilities at Google, Manyika is the Chair and Director emeritus of the McKinsey Global Institute. He was appointed as the Vice Chair of the Global Development Council at the White House Vice Chair of the Global Development Council at the White House by President Obama. He currently acts as Vice Chair of the US National AI Advisory Committee, established by Congress to offer counsel to the President. Additionally, he holds the position of Visiting Professor at Oxford and has been involved in the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine’s Committee on Responsible Computing. He is also recognized as a Distinguished Fellow at Stanford’s Human-Centered AI Institute, a Distinguished Fellow in Ethics in AI at Oxford, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. As a Rhodes Scholar, Manyika earned a DPhil, MSc, and MA from Oxford, with a focus on AI, robotics, mathematics, and computer science. He also holds a BSc from the University of Zimbabwe.