• Zimbabwe to build data centre, tech park for AI-driven digital growth

• Project aims to boost infrastructure, part of Smart Zimbabwe 2030 plan

• Country ranks low in UN e-Government Index, lags in telecom access

The Zimbabwean government plans to build a state-of-the-art data centre and a tech park to strengthen national digital infrastructure and accelerate the country’s digital transition, particularly through artificial intelligence (AI).

In a statement issued Wednesday, Jan. 14, ICT Minister Tatenda Mavetera said she had met Roy Chimanikire, chief executive of telecoms company Econet Wireless, to discuss the project.

The ministry said the planned data centre would include additional power-generation capacity to support the high computing demands of AI. Mavetera said the initiative could help turn Zimbabwe into a regional digital hub if successful. She also stressed the role of digital infrastructure in economic growth and reiterated the government’s commitment to private-sector-led development.

The move comes as authorities seek to embed ICT across society and all sectors of the economy to support rapid and sustainable development under the Smart Zimbabwe 2030 Master Plan. The plan cites an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) study suggesting that a 10% rise in a country’s digitalization score can lift GDP per capita by 0.75%.

Zimbabwe ranks 149 out of 193 countries in the United Nations’ 2024 E-Government Development Index (EGDI), with an overall score of 0.4481 out of 1, below the global average of 0.6382. Its lowest sub-index score was in telecommunication infrastructure (0.3947), alongside 0.4100 for online services and 0.5395 for human capital.

Isaac K. Kassouwi