Clemence Chiduwa, Zimbabwe's deputy finance minister, revealed after a meeting with Tshepidi Moremong, Africa50's director of operations, that the Zimbabwean government is looking to expand its national fiber optic network as part of a major infrastructure investment project.
Harare has called on Africa50, a pan-African infrastructure investment platform in which it is a shareholder, to undertake the project, which covers all sectors of the economy, “The projects we are considering are those in the ICT sector, especially those related to fiber optics, and the development of fiber is in line with the National Development Strategy (NDS1), which makes the digital economy a priority area," he said.
Unveiled in 2020, the strategic plan aims to move Zimbabwe into the category of upper-middle-income economies by 2030, particularly through the use of ICT and digital technology. The fiber-optic network that the Zimbabwean government aims to develop will eventually provide the high-speed connectivity needed to digitally transform Zimbabwe's public administration and private businesses. It is also expected to foster the active participation of the population in the digital economy.