The Minister for Information, Communication and Technology and Courier Services Supa Mandiwanzira met with the Indian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, His Excellency R. Masakuti at his Harare offices yesterday to discuss possible cooperation in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) yesterday.
Mandiwanzira who praised the India’s development in ICTs said that he would want Indian companies to set up industries in Zimbabwe.
“As you know that we have special economic zones (still on the plan) even here in Harare, we would like India to come and build its ICT manufacturing industries here” said Mandiwanzira.
“Zimbabwe has a huge market for the ICTs and it has reached a level where it can manufacture these products” said the Minister.
The minister also said that he would like India, which is well regulated in its ICTs, to come and study the Zimbabwean market. Meanwhile the Indian ambassador said that he found the meeting with the Ministry of ICT very interesting and had discussed many opportunities for collaboration.
“I think there are many opportunities for collaboration between India and Zimbabwe. Whatever differences we had in the past we have to put them aside.” said Masakui.
In conclusion the Minister expressed how India is one of the most developed countries in terms of ICTs and produces goods. Indian ICT-related products are used in Zimbabwe and many other countries.
According to the ICT4Development Blog “Although the Indian domestic IT market is large and growing, production for exports is growing faster than production for the domestic market. As a result, the share of exports in total IT output has risen from 19% in 1991/92 to 81% in 2014/15” an opportunity for consumption but not production for the Zimbabwean Market.
2015 saw a partnership with Samsung Electronics, one of the leading companies in global ICTs and electronics, announcing the launch of a Samsung plant in Harare according to a local paper. Other companies which assemble ICTs in Zimbabwe include Huawei and Gtel while Techzim stated that SAMSUNG Electronics announced its official opening of an assembly plant in Zimbabwe not too long ago.
