Mavetera Bemoans Poor Connectivity Unreliable electricity and high costs, delaying Zimbabwe’s Digital migration

*By Ross Moyo*

ICT, Postal and Courier Services Minister Hon. Tatenda Mavetera has outlined that Zimbabwe’s digital transformation must be measured by human impact, not just machines and code, as major factors slowing the nation’s digital revolution.

But she was blunt about what is holding the country back. “Poor connectivity, unreliable electricity, and high costs still exclude many Zimbabweans. Vision 2030 urges us to address these disparities. Inclusion is essential and should be central to our digital strategy,” Mavetera said while delivering her keynote at the Evolve ICT Summit 2026 at HICC, Harare today under the theme “Empowering Africa’s Digital Leap: Innovation, Inclusion and Transformation”.

In her quest to jumpstart and stir the sector’s digital revolution, the Minister who has been on a digital expansion trajectory said technology must serve the farmer in Chiredzi needing real-time market prices, the graduate in Binga locked out by geography, and the manufacturer in Mutare chasing regional markets. “Technology’s value lies in how it improves human lives, and this should guide our policies and innovations,” she said.

Mavetera framed the moment as historic. With the Fourth Industrial Revolution underway, artificial intelligence is reshaping industries, data is now a strategic resource, and digital platforms are changing trade, governance, and social structures. Quoting President Mnangagwa, she reminded the room: “The digital economy is a present imperative. Zimbabwe must shape its role in this revolution.”

She linked all digital work to Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy. Broadband expansion, modernised regulation, and strengthened national data centres are delivering results. Yet the gaps remain. The Minister stressed that until electricity is stable and data is affordable, migration to a fully digital economy will stall.

On AI, Zimbabwe is refusing to be a consumer only. The National Artificial Intelligence Strategy is being shaped around African realities. Citing the late Professor Calestous Juma, Mavetera said Africa must be a knowledge producer, not outsource its future. The cross-sectoral plan targets agriculture with AI for smallholder farmers, healthcare with AI diagnostics, education with adaptive learning for rural students, and public administration with AI for efficiency.

She also tackled fears around job loss and bias. “AI reflects the values of those who build it,” Mavetera noted, quoting Nkusi Uwera. Zimbabwe’s approach will embed human dignity, broad participation, and shared prosperity into algorithms and policy.

Child safety and skills dominated the second half of her address. The newly approved Child Online Safety Policy recognises that children are digital natives. But government cannot do it alone. Tech firms must design safer products, schools must teach digital literacy, and parents need tools to guide online use. On skills, she flagged the 1.5 Million Coders Programme, Digital Skills Ambassadors, and Cyberus for cybersecurity as the national bet to make coding as basic as literacy by 2030. “Everybody should learn to program a computer, because it teaches you how to think,” she said, quoting Steve Jobs.

Mavetera closed with a call to action rooted in “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo”. Government will enable policy, private sector must invest and create jobs, academia must produce research, and startups must solve local problems. With a median age of 19 and a tech park in development, she said Zimbabwe is ready. “Africa’s digital leap is both a significant challenge and an opportunity for this generation… The future will favour the determined. Zimbabwe is ready. Africa is ready. Together, we will build the future we deserve.”