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Leonard Ncube [email protected]

THE Second Republic’s Smart Technology approach to economic transformation has received thumbs up from Africa member states who have called for replication of the strategy across the continent.

After assuming power, the Second Republic under President Mnangagwa adopted deliberate engagement and re-engagement policies as well as a digital economic transformation agenda hinged on the development of information communication technologies, which is key in the implementation of the National Development Strategy 1.

The digital economic agenda was quickly picked by the continent’s Smart Africa Alliance (SAA) which gave Zimbabwe the mandate to lead smart agriculture through a blueprint called Agritech.

Rwanda ICT and Innovation Minister Paula Ingabire

ICT, Postal and Courier Services Deputy Minister Dingumuzi Phuti said when SAA decided that Transform Africa Summit (TAS) be held outside Rwanda for the first time, Zimbabwe made a bid to host the event together with Congo and Mauritania.

“SAA sent a delegation to assess Zimbabwe’s readiness to host the event and they were satisfied with the work the Government has done in the digital transformation agenda particularly focusing on agriculture which resulted in the two other bidders supporting our bid,” he said.

The summit was attended by five Heads of State last week, including 44 ministers and 4 000 delegates from 91 countries.

In an interview after the closing ceremony of TAS, Rwanda ICT and Innovation Minister Paula Ingabire said holding the event in Zimbabwe was not a mistake as the country had benchmarked a lot of initiatives that can be replicated in the region.

“It was really exciting that it came to Zimbabwe which is championing e-agriculture using technology to transform agriculture in Africa. With more than 70 percent of the African population relying on agriculture, we should draw from Zimbabwe’s digital agriculture and replicate these policies across the continent,” she said.

Minister Ingabire said the country had leapfrogged its agriculture sector and the Agritech blueprint that it developed is being shared in many countries as a proven approach to sustainable food security.

Deputy Minister Phuti said the country is doing very well in its policies that have appealed to many other countries.

“Zimbabwe is in charge of a blueprint called Agritech and we are proud to say we have been given an accolade for what we have done so far and that is the pillar we have gotten from President Mnangagwa to say we should be food sufficient and export,” he said