Johnson Progress

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has launched the Zimbabwe National Artificial Intelligence Strategy at the New Parliament Building today, describing the framework as a declaration of the nation’s collective readiness for the transformative impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies.

Addressing delegates, President Mnangagwa emphasised that artificial intelligence and accompanying technologies are central to the ongoing seismic technological transformation reshaping economies and societies at an unprecedented pace.

He said the current paradigm brings to the fore the urgent need to increase capacities towards digital architecture and sovereignty.

“The Zimbabwe we all envision must be digitally robust and agile.We have the duty to embrace emerging technologies to unlock numerous Artificial Intelligence driven opportunities that will propel modernisation, industrialisation and sustainable socio-economic growth,” President Mnangagwa said.

The strategy, which covers the period 2026 to 2030, is organised around four foundational pillars: Talent and Capacity Development, Infrastructure and Computational Sovereignty, Adoption and Service Transformation, Governance Ethics and Regulatory Frameworks.

The President directed that these pillars serve as the beacon of the nation’s journey towards becoming a digitally enabled economy.

Under the talent development pillar, President Mnangagwa said his government will deliberately develop and enhance human capital skills by revamping the education system from primary to tertiary level.

He indicated that centres of excellence in artificial intelligence shall be established at institutions of higher and tertiary learning.

“The prioritisation of research funding as well as attractive career pathways for our specialists remain critically important to government,” President Mnangagwa said.

“Similarly, to guarantee Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure and Computational Sovereignty, the operationalisation of the Data Protection Act is now urgent,” he said.

President Mnangagwa challenged the private sector to invest in artificial intelligence and partner with startups to transform industries and leapfrog the country’s modernisation and industrialisation agenda.

He urged both public and private sectors to engage young talented Zimbabweans residing in other jurisdictions to help propel this groundbreaking field.

“I challenge you to always push your creativity limits and break new grounds, mindful that Nyika inovakwa inotongwa inonamatigwa nevene vayo,” the President said.

“Develop solutions, innovate and create as you play your part in building our motherland Zimbabwe.”

The President further directed that Parliament must speed up the development of legislation guaranteeing online protection of children and minors against harmful effects of social media and digital platforms.

The Minister of ICT Postal and Courier Services Tatenda Mavetera revealed that the strategy emerged from an extensive policy development process informed by the UNESCO AI Readiness Assessment and nationwide consultations with farmers, healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs and educators.

She stressed that a successful AI strategy must reflect the nation’s needs and aspirations.

“The strategy presented is thus uniquely Zimbabwean and aligned with Vision 2030 and our national priorities, with a focus on AI as a driver of inclusive growth, innovation, and sovereignty,” Minister Mavetera said.

“It embraces our Education 5.0 philosophy, emphasising AI literacy and capabilities from primary schools to universities.”

The Minister announced five key initiatives to be rolled out within the first 18 months, including the AI Grand Challenge offering winners funding and pilot contracts, and the National AI and Data Platform for access to national datasets and computing power.

She also unveiled plans for an AI for Every Zimbabwean campaign, a National Regulatory Sandbox for startups, and a National AI Innovation Fund providing mentorship for entrepreneurs.