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Bongani Ndlovu, bongani.ndlovu@chronicle .co.zw

President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia says with technology development, Africa can take care of the aspirations of the youth who are the largest population in the continent.

Addressing delegates at the Transform Africa Summit in the resort town of Victoria Falls, President Hichilema called for Africa to be a single digital continent.

He said at one-point Zambia, Malawi, and Zimbabwe used to be one country.

“This is a very key summit that drives Africa towards a single digital continent and as Africans, we must set our ambitions at a higher level to develop the continent. We must achieve accelerated economic growth to create employment for the youth. Without big ambitions, we cannot take care of the aspirations of the youth, which is the largest population of our continent,” says President Hichilema

He added that the continent cannot avoid digitalisation from households and workspaces and there is a great need to invest more.

President Hichilema says as the continent has been exposed by the war in Ukraine on food production, it has to invest in technology to boost production.

“We need to also use digitalisation in our movement of goods across our borders. We should have non-border posts unlike one-stop border posts,” he says

“There is no need to stop trucks destined for Zimbabwe or Malawi at border posts and that can be achieved through technology.”

The summit is Africa’s leading annual forum bringing together global and regional leaders as well as digital experts to collaborate on new ways of shaping, accelerating and sustaining Africa’s ongoing digital revolution.

This year it is being held under the theme: “Connect, Innovate and Transform.

President Mnangagwa hosted four Heads of State, among them King Mswati III and Presidents Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi and Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia. – Follow on Twitter @bonganinkunzi