Zimbabwe’s State Owned Enterprises are being urged to evolve beyond traditional service delivery models and embrace innovation-driven growth, with Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Tatenda Mavetera praising TelOne for emerging as a key player in the country’s artificial intelligence and digital solutions ecosystem.
Minister Mavetera said TelOne’s transformation from a conventional connectivity provider into a solutions oriented technology company aligns strongly with Zimbabwe’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy and the broader Vision 2030 development agenda.
"I'm very happy as Minister that most of our SOEs are now moving from just being connectivity providers and now providing digital solutions, which are in line with one of the provisions of our National AI Strategy, where we speak into service provision in building artificial intelligence," she said.
She highlighted that TelOne, once widely known as the Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (PTC), has repositioned itself as a competitive digital services provider offering affordable bandwidth while expanding into advanced technology solutions.
"Before we used to know it as PTC, but it then moved to become a solution provider for connectivity. Now you see that they are providing bandwidth, which is quite cheap to the people of Zimbabwe," she said.
The Minister pointed to emerging innovations within the company, including AI-enabled traffic monitoring systems and agri-tech platforms designed to support productivity and efficiency in key economic sectors.
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"All we need to do now is to see how we can really move towards making sure that TelOne will be able to look at use cases like what it did on our traffic monitoring system. They also have got an agri-tech system, which they have embedded artificial intelligence," she said.
Mavetera emphasised the importance of partnerships and commercial sustainability, urging state enterprises to adopt a business mindset that prioritises innovation, competitiveness, and profitability.
"As a country, we are happy that what they are doing here, engaging partners, really gets them in business. They need to be profitable, and at the same time make sure that they do not treat business as usual," she said.
She added that government itself is adopting a more proactive and outward-facing approach under the guidance of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
"We are not supposed to just be confined to our offices. Let's make sure that we are engaging everyone and finding solutions that everyone would want for us to achieve Vision 2030," she said.
She also drew on personal reflections, saying activities such as golf reinforce values essential for business success, including patience, precision, and relationship-building.
"This is a great opportunity for TelOne to also build their relationship with their various customers so that at least they become relevant," she said.
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