Zimbabwe’s Ministry of ICT, Postal and Courier Services said that it will support Econet Wireless’ plan to develop an industrial park in Harare that will also include a new data centre to support the government’s upcoming national AI strategy.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Minister Tatenda Mavetera said she met with Econet Wireless deputy CEO Roy Chimanikire recently to discuss the project, which Econet Wireless’ infrastructure arm, Econet InfraCo, announced last month.
As we reported then, Econet said it aims to build a 300-hectare industrial park near Robert Mugabe International Airport in Harare. Econet said the project would include a 100-MW solar power plant and a large data centre, although no further techncial details were given.
Mavetera said in her statement that the data centre will include expanded power generation to support power-intensive computing, which could boost Zimbabwe’s AI capabilities.
The Zimbabwe government is also planning to launch its national AI strategy later this month, with the aim of transforming industries such as banking, finance, and production, Mavetera said. The government has also reduced costs of doing business, which it hopes will make data and voice services more affordable.
"If successful, the project could position Zimbabwe as a key player in the regional digital economy," Mavetera said.
According to the Ecofin news agency, Zimbabwe currently ranks 149th out of 193 countries in the United Nations 2024 E-Government Development Index (EGDI).
