By Takudzwa Tondoya
The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) says government has begun transforming post offices into digital innovation centres aimed at addressing the country’s lingering connectivity and infrastructure challenges.
Speaking at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Geneva, POTRAZ Director General Gift Machengete said the new digital centres will serve as platforms for product creation, mentorship and knowledge application particularly targeting underserved communities.
“By bringing in the concept of the digital centre, we are repurposing renovated post offices into spaces where people can apply knowledge, analyse, evaluate and create digital products,” said Machengete.
The initiative, he explained is part of a broader drive to bridge the digital divide especially in rural areas where infrastructure, digital literacy and access to information remain limited.
“These will be centres of excellence—not only in towns but also in remote areas—where innovators will be mentored, and new digital solutions developed,” he added.
Machengete also revealed that the government is rolling out a new policy to decongest tower sites by relocating telecommunications towers to underserved locations.
This includes promoting infrastructure sharing among network providers.
“In many cases, we have several towers clustered in one location. We’re now funding the relocation of these to ensure broader coverage,” he said.
He highlighted the need for an enabling policy environment to support innovation, including favourable tax and monetary regimes.
“We must bring the tax regulator and financial authorities to the table to create a policy framework that supports innovation and adoption of technology,” he said.
To that end, the government has started signing Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) with stakeholders and is working towards establishing a robust regulatory forum to oversee the digital transformation agenda.
