By Ross Moyo
Zimbabwe must prioritize skills development across all sectors to realize its digital transformation ambitions, an ICT expert has emphasized.

Speaking at the second edition of TechnoMag’s Tech Convergence Fora, Dr. Shakemore Chinofunga, ICT Executive Director at Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT), stressed that digitization is an ongoing process requiring continuous capacity building.

“Digitization is not an event, it’s a skill-by-skill, step-by-step journey. We must build both the systems and the human capacity to sustain them,” Dr. Chinofunga said, underscoring the need for a holistic approach to digital growth. He highlighted the Zimbabwe Centre for High Performance Computing’s efforts to support secure data storage and processing, bolstering local ecosystems.

Compliance with regulatory frameworks, such as the Cyber and Data Protection Act (Chapter 5:02) of 2021, is crucial. “If every organization understands and implements the record of processing activities as required by law, our data will be better protected, and confidence in local systems will grow,” Dr. Chinofunga emphasized.

Zimbabwe’s digital transformation agenda aims for a secure, self-reliant, and inclusive digital economy, aligned with national policies and global best practices. To achieve this, stakeholders must invest in skills development, ensuring Zimbabweans can effectively harness and govern digital technologies.

The call to action echoes the government’s push for a digitally empowered nation, with initiatives focused on enhancing digital literacy, cybersecurity, and innovation. As Zimbabwe advances its digital agenda, building a skilled workforce will be pivotal to success.