Zimbabwe: ICT Minister pushes for more affordable smartphones
October 2nd 2024
With the technological revolution underway on the continent, African countries are fighting against the digital divide. The authorities are carrying out various actions to ensure that certain sections of the population are not left behind by this revolution.
Zimbabwean Minister of ICT Tatenda Mavetera (pictured) has called on ICT stakeholders to provide more affordable smartphones to the people. The aim is to enable people to access these gadgets and bridge the digital divide. She made the remarks on Monday, September 30, during the opening ceremony of the ICT Ministry’s 2024 Strategic Plan Review Workshop.
“Improving connectivity needs to be complemented by access to affordable and efficient devices. […] The concept of free Wi-Fi zones also needs to be discussed as we look for ways to further promote access to ICT,” said Tatenda Mavetera.
These remarks come in a context marked by the desire of the Zimbabwean authorities to improve access to digital services for the population. According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Zimbabwe is one of the countries with an average digital infrastructure index. According to the report “E-Government Survey 2024 Accelerating Digital Transformation for Sustainable Development” published in September 2024 by the United Nations Department of Social Affairs, it stood at 0.3947 while the African average is 0.4346.
Furthermore, it is worth noting that the mobile phone penetration rate stood at 97.7% in the last quarter of 2023, according to data from the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ). “ Zimbabwe is open for business and we need to develop strategies to attract device manufacturers,” the ICT Minister added.
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