By Dr Blessing Ivan Vava
I was pleased to see reports of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s meeting with Google executive James Manyika in New York on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly. There is something satisfying about seeing a Zimbabwean who began his university education here help shape the future of technology. But I also wondered what would happen once the delegation returned home.
According to TechnoMag’s report, ICT, Postal and Courier Services Minister Tatenda Mavetera and Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Martin Rushwaya also attended. The reports describe exploratory discussions about AI training, access to Google’s scholarship programmes and possible cooperation around a proposed technology park. They give no details of a concluded investment agreement or delivery timetable. Mnangagwa and the officials involved now have an opportunity to turn the conversation into something Zimbabweans can benefit from.
TechnoMag also reports that Zimbabwe’s National AI Strategy was launched in March this year, to help the country move towards a knowledge-based economy. That gives the Google discussions a policy framework to work within. The government should explain which parts of that strategy this cooperation could help put into practice.
I would like to see this engagement encourage a more serious commitment to technology and innovation in our own economy. Government needs to fund research, while banks and established businesses should look more closely at local technology enterprises. We cannot expect an overseas partner to carry ambitions we are unwilling to fund ourselves.
The potential extends well beyond the technology sector. A small manufacturer could avoid costly interruptions by using systems that detect equipment faults early. Timely information about crop disease could help a farmer protect a harvest. Better management of stock and deliveries can save a business money, leaving more to invest in its growth.
Zimbabwean developers and researchers could earn a living solving such problems. Some of their products might find customers elsewhere in the region, bringing in export income and supporting skilled employment at home. Getting a promising idea that far, however, takes money and time. Young firms need investors prepared to support development and testing before sales begin to cover the costs.
Manyika’s involvement also makes me think about the students following him through our universities today. A young researcher may have an idea she cannot test because her department lacks the computing resources. A university partnership could give her access to the computing resources and experienced collaborators she needs. That is the sort of opportunity I hope officials have in mind when they speak about cooperation.
We could also make better use of Zimbabwean expertise abroad. A software engineer based overseas could mentor a university team developing a product for local businesses, reviewing its work online over several months. A researcher could jointly supervise a postgraduate student and help arrange access to specialist facilities. People do not have to return permanently to contribute, but our universities need the resources and arrangements to sustain that collaboration.
Land has reportedly been secured for the proposed technology park. I would now want to hear from the researchers and businesses expected to use it. Dependable electricity and affordable internet will matter every day, as will equipment and competent management. The plans must explain how those services will be paid for once the buildings are occupied.
There is also the question of customers. Government could support local innovation through fair, transparent procurement that gives Zimbabwean companies a reasonable chance of competing for public contracts. A first serious contract, followed by payment on time, may do more for a young business than another entrepreneurship workshop.
A local authority, for instance, could commission a Zimbabwean company to develop a system through which residents track water faults, and the council records repairs. Starting with a small, paid pilot would allow both sides to establish whether it works before expanding it. The company would gain experience and a reference customer, while residents would have a way to see what happened to their reports.
In agriculture, a farmer in Gokwe could send a photograph of damaged maize leaves to a locally developed service that helps an extension officer identify the problem. Advice delivered in Shona or Ndebele, with an option to receive it through ordinary text messages, could make the service more useful. Its developers would need to work with farmers and agricultural specialists to test whether it gives reliable advice under local conditions.
My research on technology and development has made me attentive to what a partnership leaves behind. I would want our institutions to gain the expertise to maintain and adapt the systems they adopt. They also need to understand the continuing costs, the rules governing data use and their options if they decide to change providers. Those details will affect how much control they retain over their own work.
Having participated in the meeting, Mavetera should ensure that her ministry follows up on these discussions and brings universities and local technology companies into the process. The ministry should explain which proposals can proceed, who will carry them forward and when Zimbabweans can expect to benefit. Where scholarships or training opportunities become available, the application details should be public and easy to find. People should not need a connection in government to hear about them.
Mnangagwa should give that work sustained attention and ensure that the officials responsible have the resources to carry it through. I would be pleased to return to this story in a year and find that a student’s research had received support or a local developer had secured a contract through the engagement. That would give Zimbabweans a reason to remember the meeting long after the photograph has stopped circulating. ENDS
Dr Blessing Ivan Vava is a Zimbabwean researcher and civic leader whose work examines technology, power and development in Africa. He holds a doctorate in Communication Studies from the University of Johannesburg, where his research explored Chinese ICT investment in Zimbabwe. He writes The Thursday Briefing on democracy, digital sovereignty and technology governance.
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