Zambia now most digitally connected country in Southern Africa – Mutati
SCIENCE and Technology Minister Felix Mutati says Zambia has now positioned itself as the most digitally connected country in Southern Africa after linking up with Mozambique through a new fibre-optic interconnector launched at the Chanida Border.
Speaking during the launch of the fiber optic interconnector yesterday hosted by Bayobab Zambia and Vodacom, Mutati said the development marked a major breakthrough in Zambia’s digital transformation agenda and placed the country at the centre of regional connectivity.
“With this connection, Zambia is now linked to eight of our neighbours in the region,” Mutati said.
“And I may just boast that we now become the most connected country digitally within the context of Southern Africa.”
The minister said government was already pushing ahead with plans to link Zambia to Burundi and eventually to the rest of the continent, explaining that the objective was not only to modernize Zambia but to help transform African economies collectively.
Mutati said the milestone was possible because Zambia and Mozambique had both created an environment that encourages investment in technology, adding that private companies could only deliver if governments provided clear policy and supportive regulation.
“The two governments are not shy for the private sector to make money,” he said.
“When you make money, you invest more. When you invest more, our people get better services. The only caution is this, don’t eat alone. If you do, you will choke.”
He said digital infrastructure had now become as important as roads, energy and rail, pointing out that government services, especially in rural areas, depended heavily on robust connectivity for systems like social cash transfer and digital public services.
Mutati also revealed that the government’s decision to remove duty on digital infrastructure imports was one of the key policy measures that made the Chanida interconnector possible.
Meanwhile, Mozambican Minister of Communications and Digital Transformation Américo Muchanga, who joined Mutati at the event, reaffirmed the long-standing bond between the two countries,a relationship Mutati described using the late Mozambican President Samora Machel’s iconic phrase “Tulipo… we are here.”
“When Zambia struggled with energy, Mozambique was there,” Mutati said.
“When we faced transport challenges for goods and fuel, Mozambique opened its routes. ‘Tulipo’ …we are here for each other.”