Masvingo Set To Host AI Tech Forum Summit 2026

By Ross Moyo

Masvingo is set to host the upcoming AI Tech Forum Summit 2026 which runs from 16-17 June 2026, switching up the ancient city to spotlight the trending technology and the next big thing in the tech ecosystem.
The high-level event will attract tech experts, Government officials, regulators, and private sector leaders as they converge to set the roadmap for artificial intelligence adoption across finance, public service and industry.

The 2-day summit positions AI as infrastructure, with Zimbabwe pushing digital transformation, the forum will tackle data governance, local compute capacity, and AI policy alignment — the 3 pillars needed to scale models beyond pilot stage.

Hon. T. A. Mavetera, Minister of ICT, Postal & Courier Services, will be the Guest of Honour, as she drives the adaptation and implementation of the AI strategy, infrastructure and policy roadmap, setting Zimbabwe ready for adaptation.

Rallying their support via an all-government approach, Hon. J. Muswere, Minister of Skills Audit & Development and former ICT minister, will deliver his key note address to focus on upskilling pipelines and spectrum/broadband policy that determine if AI runs on local or foreign servers, a mandate under his ministry.

The Chairman of AI Institute Africa, Dr Dennis Magaya,noted that he is looking foward to a robust exchange that will drive the national AI agenda as he is also set to speak as an expert on open datasets, model training for African languages, and ethical AI guardrails. The institute’s role is to keep Zimbabwe from being just a consumer of imported models.

Amongst other speakers, Shami Moyo, IT Director ZIMRA, will speak on AI in revenue collection and fraud detection, while Mr Freddy Ndhlovu, ICT Director PRAZ and President CSZ, brings procurement + standards perspective. Ms Perpetua Chimeura, NSSA ICT Executive, adds social protection data angle.M Kgengwenyane, Co-Founder & Chief AI Officer of OrionX Botswana, and Saud Ally, CEO eBits UAE. Their input on cross-border AI services and cloud optimization gives Zimbabwe access to regional best practices without reinventing compute.

For Zimbabwe’s tech ecosystem, Masvingo 2026 is a test of decentralization. If AI infrastructure, skills, and capital can root outside Harare, the country gains resilience. Urban Lifestyle Centre will be the node where code meets policy for 48 hours.