ZAMBIA RANKED 4TH OUT OF 18 COUNTRIES IN ICT GROWTH - MUTATI

ZAMBIA’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry has recorded exponential growth, with the country ranking fourth from the 18 countries, Felix Mtati, the Minister of Technology and Science has revealed.

And Professor William Abwino Phiri, the Vice Chancellor at Chalimbana University has said Zambia has sufficient intellectual capacity to deal and overcome the many social and economic challenges being encountered

Mr Mutati says in the last one year, the Zambia government has worked hard to ensure that the ICT sector grew by 16 percent and with technology, creating immense options for consumers and those in the marketing sector.

Mr Mutati was speaking at the launch of the book entitled: “Digital Marketing; Strategy, Implementation and Practice, co-authored by Dr Clement Sinyangwe and his wife Rechael Sinyangwe, Mr Mutati said internet accessibility and growth in Zambia had so far grown by 13 percent with 13 million Zambians accessing the internet.

He said mobile financial transactions in Zambia had surpassed Southern Africa by 19 percent with Zambia being ranked number four out of 18 countries.

We are the most connected in Southern Africa. I have known Clement (Sinyangwe) for some time but not to the extent that he could write a book. He is always laughing and hardworking. Knowledge kept in your head is just a rumour. I have read his book and it has given me hope that Zambia as a country which should not have no excuse to fail to solve its problems,” Mr Mutati said.

Mr Mutati, who wrote the foreword of the book said for the first time in his life, he had admired the work of a couple who had no time for gossip and idle talk but a dispatch of knowledge.

Prof Abwino Phiri Vice Chancellor at Chalimbana University said problems were not here to kill but to help people come up with solutions and that Zambia did not lack intellectual capacity to solve her own challenges.

Prof Phiri described Dr Sinyangwe and his wife Racheal as pioneers in the academic frontiers.

Felix Mutati, (Right) the Minister of Technology and Science poses for a picture with Dr Clement Sinyangwe and his wife Rachael Mwale, who are co-authors of the book; Digital Marketing (Strategy, Implementation, and Practice), which was launched on Thursday.