Zimbabwe ICT Excellence Awards celebrate innovation and digital leadership
Date: 2026-03-01
By: Kanto Kai Okanta
Zimbabwe’s
Minister of ICT, Postal and Courier Services, Tatenda Mavetera, has commended
the country’s technology sector following the success of the Zimbabwe ICT
Excellence Awards 2025 in Harare. The awards ceremony took place alongside the
AI and Innovation Week and brought together industry leaders, innovators, and
policymakers to recognize achievements shaping the nation’s digital future.
The
awards honored excellence across 23 categories, highlighting individuals and
organizations contributing to Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 agenda. Among the winners
was George Mutakura of the National University of Science and Technology
(NUST), who received the ICT Innovator of the Year award for developing an
AI-powered Intelligent Digital Identity Verification System aimed at
strengthening digital security. FAO EOSTAT was named Innovator Runner-Up for
its satellite-based crop monitoring solution designed to support agricultural
transformation.
NetOne
secured the Best Rural Internet Connectivity award for the second consecutive
year, recognized for efforts to expand connectivity and bridge the urban-rural
digital divide. Lorreta Songola of Liquid Intelligent Technologies was honored
in the Women in ICT category for her leadership in the sector. The ICT4D
Initiative award went to ICDL, through the Computer Society of Zimbabwe, for
advancing digital skills development. Tynwald High School was named Robotics
Champion for promoting innovation in automation and robotics among students,
while Innbucks was recognized in the Best Mobile App category for its role in
transforming service delivery.
Minister
Mavetera described the strong participation in the awards as both inspiring and
a testament to the growth of Zimbabwe’s ICT sector. She reaffirmed the
Ministry’s commitment to supporting innovation and digital transformation
through initiatives such as the 1.5 Million Coders Programme and the Digital
Skills Ambassadors Initiative, as the country advances its broader digital
transformation agenda.
