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Zimbabwe to launch national AI strategy next month
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The inaugural Artificial Intelligence (AI) Summit for Africa opened in Victoria Falls on Monday, with the government announcing that Zimbabwe's National AI Strategy will be officially launched in October.
Digital transformation is a central pillar of the National Development Strategy One (NDS1), which seeks to drive the country towards upper-middle-income status by 2030. Against this backdrop, more than 100 delegates at the AI Summit for Africa 2025 were informed that the second draft of the strategy has been completed and is undergoing further stakeholder consultations.
Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services, Tatenda Mavetera, said the summit's outcomes would be integrated into Zimbabwe's AI policy framework. "We have finalised the National AI Strategy, and it will be unveiled this October. I look forward to the outcomes of these discussions. We will adopt the Summit's recommendations to strengthen Zimbabwe's upcoming AI strategy and contribute to a continental framework that amplifies Africa's voice on Artificial Intelligence," she said.
The summit has brought together local and international policymakers, industry leaders, researchers and technology enthusiasts to discuss AI's transformative potential. Dr Dennis Magaya, Chairperson of the Intelligence Institute of Africa, said the conference is designed to foster knowledge exchange and partnerships while shaping policy direction. "The AI Conference for Africa aims to facilitate knowledge exchange, strategic partnerships, and policy dialogue to accelerate AI integration across multiple sectors. The event will showcase how AI can help tackle Africa's developmental challenges while driving sustainable and inclusive growth," he noted.
The discussions also highlighted the risks of failing to proactively shape AI adoption. Without home-grown policies, Africa risks falling into digital dependency—a modern form of neo-colonialism—where economic and social values are dictated by foreign technologies that do not reflect local realities.
By advancing its National AI Strategy, Zimbabwe is positioning itself to secure economic sovereignty and competitiveness in the global digital economy, while pushing for a continent-wide framework that ensures Africa takes control of its technological destiny.
Digital transformation is a central pillar of the National Development Strategy One (NDS1), which seeks to drive the country towards upper-middle-income status by 2030. Against this backdrop, more than 100 delegates at the AI Summit for Africa 2025 were informed that the second draft of the strategy has been completed and is undergoing further stakeholder consultations.
Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services, Tatenda Mavetera, said the summit's outcomes would be integrated into Zimbabwe's AI policy framework. "We have finalised the National AI Strategy, and it will be unveiled this October. I look forward to the outcomes of these discussions. We will adopt the Summit's recommendations to strengthen Zimbabwe's upcoming AI strategy and contribute to a continental framework that amplifies Africa's voice on Artificial Intelligence," she said.
The summit has brought together local and international policymakers, industry leaders, researchers and technology enthusiasts to discuss AI's transformative potential. Dr Dennis Magaya, Chairperson of the Intelligence Institute of Africa, said the conference is designed to foster knowledge exchange and partnerships while shaping policy direction. "The AI Conference for Africa aims to facilitate knowledge exchange, strategic partnerships, and policy dialogue to accelerate AI integration across multiple sectors. The event will showcase how AI can help tackle Africa's developmental challenges while driving sustainable and inclusive growth," he noted.
The discussions also highlighted the risks of failing to proactively shape AI adoption. Without home-grown policies, Africa risks falling into digital dependency—a modern form of neo-colonialism—where economic and social values are dictated by foreign technologies that do not reflect local realities.
By advancing its National AI Strategy, Zimbabwe is positioning itself to secure economic sovereignty and competitiveness in the global digital economy, while pushing for a continent-wide framework that ensures Africa takes control of its technological destiny.
Source - ZBC
