Zambia hosts digital economy roundtable to accelerate inclusive digital transformation

By:  Kanto Kai Okanta

The Government of Zambia has hosted the Digital Economy Roundtable (DERT) in Lusaka, bringing together more than 60 institutions from the public, private and development sectors to advance collaboration on the country’s digital inclusion agenda. The event, held at the Intercontinental Hotel, was convened by the Presidential Delivery Unit in partnership with the Ministry of Technology and Science under the theme “Advancing Inclusive Digital Transformation.”

Minister of Technology and Science, Felix Mutati in his remark noted that the digital economy continues to play a central role in Zambia’s economic growth and national development, stressing that digital inclusion must empower citizens across all sectors, including farmers, traders and students. Kusobile Kamwambi, Head of the Presidential Delivery Unit, said the Roundtable reinforces President Hakainde Hichilema’s commitment to ensuring a connected and equitable Zambia, adding that the platform is designed to move beyond dialogue to accelerate delivery and strengthen implementation pipelines.

During the discussions, government highlighted key progress under the Digital Inclusion Priority, including the ICT sector’s contribution to almost half of Zambia’s 4% GDP growth in 2024, the rollout of more than 3,600 communication towers leading to 13.5 million internet subscriptions, and the ZamFreeWiFi programme, which has connected more than 8,500 users in public places across four provinces in under a year.

Private sector investment exceeding K1 billion has also played a significant role in advancing connectivity, expanding network coverage to 96% of the population and enabling digital skills training for more than 15,000 youth. Other contributions include equipping schools and rural communities, connecting 430 public institutions to high-speed fibre, subsidising 4G smartphones to support access, and training over 10,000 school staff in the use of digital tools.

Stakeholders agreed on a number of outcomes following the Roundtable, including co-funding digital hubs, expanding public Wi-Fi, scaling nationwide digital literacy programmes, and implementing joint communication campaigns to enhance citizen awareness. A 2026 Action Matrix with shared KPIs will be developed for quarterly delivery reviews led by the PDU. The Public-Private Dialogue Forum reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that by 2030, 80% of Zambians have internet access and digital literacy, with at least 20% actively participating in the digital economy.