HARARE, Apr. 19 (NewsDay Live) — Nearly three decades after Econet Wireless Zimbabwe transformed Zimbabwe’s telecoms sector, its latest venture into artificial intelligence could mark an even more profound shift in the country’s economic landscape.
The launch of Econet AI last Thursday signals Zimbabwe’s most decisive step yet into the global AI economy, positioning local businesses to access advanced technologies that have largely remained out of reach.
At the centre of the initiative is Cassava Technologies, founded by telecoms entrepreneur Strive Masiyiwa. Through Cassava, Econet AI has secured partnerships with global technology leaders including NVIDIA, Google, Microsoft and Anthropic, giving Zimbabwean firms access to cutting-edge AI solutions across sectors.
Analysts say broader AI adoption could boost productivity, unlock new business models and create jobs, particularly for Zimbabwe’s young, tech-literate population.
Unveiled in Harare before more than 200 government officials and business executives, Econet AI has already assembled a team of over 100 specialists tasked with integrating AI across the economy.
The potential applications span multiple sectors. Smallholder farmers could use AI-driven tools to improve yields, while banks may enhance cybersecurity and operational efficiency. Government institutions could also deploy AI to improve service delivery and responsiveness.
Douglas Mboweni, chief executive officer of Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, said the company is already embedding AI into its operations, including real-time network fault detection and multilingual customer support chatbots capable of communicating in Shona, Ndebele, English, French and Chinese.
Mboweni urged businesses to treat AI as an immediate strategic priority rather than a distant innovation.
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“If we don’t deploy AI, others will launch solutions that push us out of business as Zimbabwean companies,” he said.
He added that Econet AI aims to partner organisations in adopting AI, offering ready-to-deploy use cases tailored to different industries through its global alliances.
