• Zimbabwe expanded cooperation with UNESCO on artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and digital governance.

• The government positioned artificial intelligence as a core driver of its Smart Zimbabwe 2030 strategy.

• Zimbabwe ranked 149th out of 193 countries in the 2024 UN E-Government Development Index.

The Zimbabwean government explored new avenues of cooperation with UNESCO in artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and digital governance. Officials placed this cooperation at the center of a meeting held on Tuesday, February 10. The meeting brought together Information and Communication Technology Minister Tatenda Mavetera and Tawfik Jelassi, UNESCO’s Deputy Director-General for Communication and Information.

“Our discussions focused on artificial intelligence and national policy frameworks, digital transformation in the public sector, platform regulation and governance, as well as digital skills development for young people and adults,” Jelassi said.

Minister Mavetera, for her part, emphasized the transformative role of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies in government operations and national development. She highlighted the importance of research, innovation, and collaboration with academic and technical institutions to promote sustainable technological solutions.

This renewed engagement aligned with Zimbabwe’s broader digital transformation ambitions. Through the “Smart Zimbabwe 2030 Master Plan,” the government aims to fully integrate information and communication technologies across society and all sectors of the economy to support rapid and sustainable socio-economic development. The plan cited a study by the International Telecommunication Union stating that a 10% increase in a country’s digitalization score generates a 0.75% rise in GDP per capita.

Within this strategy, authorities identified artificial intelligence as a critical catalyst. Policymakers expect AI to increase efficiency, stimulate innovation, and improve service delivery across sectors including agriculture, health, education, and public administration. This focus on AI explains the recent intensification of cooperation with UNESCO, which contributed to the formulation of Zimbabwe’s national AI strategy and assessed the country’s readiness for artificial intelligence.

An assessment report published in July 2025 nevertheless highlighted major constraints. The report stated that Zimbabwe must adopt a comprehensive national AI strategy accompanied by a framework to manage key risks in order to fully harness AI’s potential. These risks included foreign dominance through cultural imposition, the erosion of human autonomy, and persistent limitations in financing, technical infrastructure, and research capacity. The report also pointed to the continued emigration of highly skilled professionals, commonly referred to as “brain drain,” as a compounding challenge.

Zimbabwe currently ranked 149th out of 193 countries in the United Nations E-Government Development Index 2024. The country recorded a score of 0.4481 out of 1, which remained well below the global average of 0.6382.

Isaac K. Kassouwi