Covid-19 presents opportunities for ICT sector

WHILE the Covid-19 pandemic has caused economic havoc across the globe, it has also presented growth opportunities for the Information and Communication Technology ( ICT) sector — and Zimbabwe needs to prioritise and leverage on the industry.

Studies have shown that ICTs have the potential to boost economic growth for developing countries.

They can be used to tackle poverty, combat diseases, enhance education and improve production in mining, agriculture and manufacturing.

Covid-19 blind-sided most businesses as they could not easily adjust to a new working environment away from brickand-mortar establishments owing to the lockdown.

It is believed that the corporate sector, therefore, needs to leverage on technologies for enhanced business efficiencies.

Dandemutande chief executive officer Mr Never Ncube (pictured below) said the role of ICT cannot be overlooked as economies around the world are going to be driven by ICT during and after Covid-19.

“Covid-19 exposed us. In just a moment people were working from home and many were not ready to deal with this situation, both providers and consumers.

ICTs are the new order and we need to embrace them. That can change the way we do businesses and help increase productivity,” he said during the third edition of the online economic development outlook, which was hosted by Global Renaissance Investments ( GRI).

The meeting interrogated the role of digitalisation and smartech in economic growth, particularly at a time when the Fourth Industrialisation Revolution is taking hold.

“We need as a country to look at how

ICT can help us improve agricultural productivity, as well as in mining. This is the way to go.

“In mining, we are looking at achieving a US$ 12 billion sector by 2030 and it is imperative to look at how the sector can exploit technology to achieve that target.

“There is no growth without ICT. It now sits at the centre of our businesses, so we cannot ignore it as a country.”

Experts, however, say there is need for a conducive environment for ICTs to flourish.

Zimbabwe ICT chairperson Engineer Jacob Mutisi said there was scope for ICTs to be deployed in strategic sectors such as education, where online learning has suddenly become important.

“Let us use what we have now to educate and empower our communities. E-learning platforms must have no charges or must just be more affordable because these are the future . . .

“We need an environment that is competitive enough for the sector to grow and those who have made it can give back to their communities. For instance, sponsor a website for their primary schools,” said Engineer Mutisi.

While concerns have been raised over high cost of ICT products and services, industry regulator, Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz), said there was also need to ensure the viability of service providers.

“While we want to have free and cheap access to services and products, we should consider the viability of service providers,” said Potraz technical services director Nicholas Muzhuzha.

The country has, however, made great strides in financial technology, especially with regards to mobile money becoming one of the region’s success stories.