Zimbabwe unveils national cybersecurity strategy

The Zimbabwean government on Wednesday launched a National Cybersecurity Strategy, marking what officials described as a major milestone in safeguarding the country's digital infrastructure and online economy.

The announcement was made at a high-level conference held in Harare under the theme "Securing Zimbabwe's Digital Future: From Policy to Practice", which brought together senior government officials, financial technology firms, and digital service providers to discuss the growing risks posed by cybercrime.

"I am pleased to announce that Zimbabwe has completed the development of the National Cybersecurity Strategy, which serves as our overarching framework for protecting national digital assets," said ICT Minister Tatenda Mavetera during the launch.

The newly unveiled strategy aims to strengthen Zimbabwe's ability to prevent, detect, and respond to cyber threats, while promoting digital trust and data protection across public and private sectors.

Mavetera said the strategy represents a decisive shift "from policy formulation to active implementation," with several concrete measures already in place. These include the enforcement of data privacy laws, training of 830 data protection officers, and the licensing of 721 data controllers across various sectors.

A key component of the initiative is the establishment of a National Child Online Protection Policy, designed to shield children from online exploitation, abuse, and exposure to harmful digital content.

The ICT minister also urged the private sector to play a more proactive role in securing Zimbabwe's digital future.

"To the private sector, I encourage greater investment in cybersecurity technologies and local innovation," she said.

The push for a coordinated cybersecurity framework comes amid rising global and regional concerns over cybercrime. According to the Africa Cybersecurity Report 2023, the continent lost more than US$4 billion to cyberattacks last year, with over 90% of businesses operating without formal cyber risk protocols.

Officials say the new strategy aligns with Zimbabwe's National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) and is expected to enhance national resilience against cyber threats while fostering a safer and more inclusive digital economy.