Zimbabwe has launched an Artificial Intelligence, Digital and Innovation Hub at Nyamuroro Vocational Training Centre in Gokwe North, expanding access to digital skills and innovation opportunities in rural communities.
The hub was established through a partnership between the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Uncommon.org. It will provide young people with access to computers, digital skills training, artificial intelligence, coding and innovation opportunities.
The Ministry of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services provided 20 laptops to support the facility. Minister Tatenda Mavetera, represented at the launch by Director in the Minister’s Office Kudakwashe Muzenda, emphasised the importance of combining connectivity with practical skills that enable communities to use technology productively.
The launch builds on Zimbabwe’s Presidential Internet Scheme, introduced at Nyamuroro High School in April 2025 to expand broadband connectivity across the country’s 2,400 administrative wards and improve access to digital services in underserved communities.
The hub has already enrolled 52 young people from Gokwe North who have begun digital skills training. The facility is also expected to connect rural learners to programmes including the 1.5 Million Coders Programme and the CYBERUS cybersecurity programme.
The initiative marks the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training’s first AI Digital Innovation Hub established in a rural area, highlighting efforts to narrow Zimbabwe’s rural-urban digital divide through connectivity, skills development and innovation.
