• The Ministry of Technology and Science and Yango hosted a dialogue to explore public-private strategies for accelerating Zambia’s shift to a tech-driven, inclusive economy.

• Minister Felix Mutati stressed that digital transformation must prioritize citizen empowerment and trust, noting that low digital literacy (34%) and cybercrime incidents hinder progress.

• With only 33% internet access, the government and Yango committed to bridging the divide.

On December 8, the Ministry of Technology and Science, in partnership with international technology firm Yango, hosted a high-level Public–Private Dialogue Breakfast Meeting on Digital Transformation and Technology-Enabled Development. Held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Lusaka, the event brought together senior government officials, Yango’s global leadership, and key technology stakeholders to explore collaborative strategies for accelerating Zambia’s journey toward an inclusive, tech-driven economy.

The dialogue focused on pivotal areas such as innovation, digital skills development, cyber resilience, AI-enabled public service delivery, and the critical role of public-private partnerships in enhancing national productivity and improving citizens’ quality of life.

Delivering the keynote address, Minister of Technology and Science Hon. Felix C. Mutati MP emphasized that Zambia’s digital transformation must prioritize not only infrastructure but also the empowerment of its people. He introduced the concept of “cyber happiness,” underscoring the importance of public trust in digital systems. Despite Zambia’s commendable 92.6% cyber resilience rating, the Minister noted that incidents like mobile money theft continue to undermine user confidence.

Minister Mutati also highlighted a pressing challenge: with digital innovation and literacy at just 34%, a significant portion of the population remains excluded from the benefits of digital services. This low adoption rate poses a major obstacle to leveraging technology for broad-based economic and social development.

To address these challenges, the Minister called for private sector collaboration in several key areas. These include enhancing the national digital addressing system in partnership with ZICTA, strengthening STEM education to cultivate digital talent from an early age, boosting agricultural productivity through digital tools, leveraging AI to improve healthcare and education delivery, and enhancing revenue collection via improved digital tracking of economic activity.

Vladimir Razuvaev, CEO of Yango Tech, echoed the importance of trust as the cornerstone of successful public-private collaboration. He shared how Yango’s AI-driven solutions are transforming service delivery by enabling automated analysis and smarter decision-making across various sectors.

Building on these shared priorities, the urgency of expanding digital access became even more apparent. According to DataReportal, only 33% of Zambia’s population had internet access as of early 2025, highlighting a significant digital divide. The partnership between the Zambian government and Yango thus represents a strategic commitment to closing this gap through sustained collaboration, technological innovation, and people-centered digital solutions.

Hikmatu Bilali