Zimbabwe's first rural AI hub set to reduce digital divide

Earlier this month the government of Zimbabwe – in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Uncommon.org – launched the country's fist rural AI, Digital and Innovation Hub at Nyamuroro Vocational Training Centre in Gokwe.

The hub is expected to equip Zimbabwe's youth with digital skills, coding, and exposure to innovation and AI training.

According to the 2025 second quarter labor force survey report by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT) the rate of youth not in employment, education or training was sitting at 49.2%.

Zimbabwe has an ambitious National Broadband Plan, launched in 2020, aimed at ensuring broadband is accessible and affordable for everyone by 2030, regardless of their location.

The Southern African country's Internet penetration rate stood at 84.55%, according to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe's (POTRAZ's) fourth quarter 2025 report.

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However, the majority of people residing in the rural areas still don't have access to the Internet, hence, government's quest to reduce the digital divide particularly in rural parts of the country.

Impact of Zimbabwe's first rural AI hub