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Econet AI launches to transform Zimbabwe's economy

Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, through its new venture Econet AI, is poised to significantly impact the country's economy by integrating artificial intelligence into various sectors. Launched last Thursday, Econet AI represents Zimbabwe's most substantial move into the global AI economy, providing local businesses access to advanced technologies. Cassava Technologies, founded by Strive Masiyiwa, is central to this initiative, having secured partnerships with global tech leaders such as NVIDIA, Google, Microsoft, and Anthropic. Analysts predict that widespread AI adoption could boost productivity, foster new business models, and create jobs, especially for Zimbabwe's young, tech-literate population. Unveiled in Harare to over 200 government officials and business executives, Econet AI has assembled a team of more than 100 specialists to integrate AI across the economy. Potential applications include AI-driven tools for smallholder farmers to improve yields, enhanced cybersecurity and operational efficiency for banks, and improved service delivery for government institutions. Douglas Mboweni, chief executive officer of Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, stated that the company is already embedding AI into its operations, including real-time network fault detection and multilingual customer support chatbots in Shona, Ndebele, English, French, and Chinese. Mboweni urged businesses to prioritize AI adoption, warning that failure to do so could lead to Zimbabwean companies being outcompeted.