Online Reporter
Theseus Shambare, Features Writer
FOR Ms Fungai Makwarimba, a seasoned farmer in Lions Den, Mashonaland West Province, the leap from handwritten ledgers to digital farm management felt daunting.
“Tracking costs for my diverse crops used to be a headache,” she shared at her farm recently.
“Predicting profits? Pure guesswork.”
Then came AgriAllocator, a farm management application spearheaded by Agrilytics.
As Mr Patrick Mambo from Agrilytics explains, “AgriAllocator was designed to empower farmers with real-time insights into their operations — from tracking expenses to monitoring stock.”
While the app streamlined Ms Makwarimba’s work, it also sparked an unexpected local economy.
Youthful Tendai Manhize, recognising some farmers’ initial hesitation with the technology, stepped in as a “Farm Data Assistant”.
He now helps Ms Makwarimba and others input data, generate reports and interpret the application’s profit projections.
“AgriAllocator made my farming smarter,” Ms Makwarimba says while smiling, “and that ‘smartness’ created a job for Tendai right here in our community. He understands the technology and we understand the land, it is a good partnership.”
The newfound efficiency and data-driven insights brought by applications like AgriAllocator offer a tantalising glimpse into the future of work in Zimbabwe.
Yet, for many, the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation still conjures anxieties, echoing the global fear that these technologies will ultimately lead to widespread job displacement.
The image of machines seamlessly performing tasks previously done by human hands often overshadows the potential for new roles, breeding concerns that the very innovations designed to improve productivity will leave a significant portion of the workforce redundant.
This apprehension, while understandable given historical patterns of technological disruption, requires a nuanced examination within the Zimbabwean context, particularly as the nation stands on the cusp of embracing this technological wave for food security.
In Kwekwe, an AI-powered silo depot is set for official commissioning tomorrow (Monday).
It is part of a new generation of smart silos being introduced across Zimbabwe representing a revolutionary step forward in grain storage and post-harvest management.
Unlike traditional storage facilities, these silos are equipped with advanced technologies, including AI, Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and automated climate control systems, all working together to preserve the quality of harvested grain and significantly reduce post-harvest losses.
At the heart of these systems are IoT sensors that continuously monitor key environmental factors inside the silos such as temperature, humidity, moisture content and carbon dioxide levels, which can indicate spoilage or insect activity.
This real-time data allows for immediate adjustments to storage conditions, ensuring the grain retains its optimal condition for longer periods.
To support this, the silos are fitted with climate control mechanisms, including fans for ventilation and aeration systems that regulate air flow to reduce excess moisture.
Depending on the readings from the sensors, the systems can activate dehumidifiers or heaters, adapting to both weather conditions and the grain’s state to prevent mould growth, rot and infestations.
Artificial Intelligence plays a critical role by analysing the sensor data and predicting potential issues before they arise.
It can recommend best practices for storage, automate decision-making to maintain stable conditions and optimise energy use, running the systems only when necessary.
When farmers deliver their grain to these facilities, the silos can automatically test for quality indicators such as moisture content and direct the produce to the appropriate storage compartments.
This process not only reduces the risk of rejection due to quality issues but also ensures transparency and traceability through digital recording of deliveries.
Additionally, the silos include integrated inventory and logistics management systems that track grain volumes, monitor condition and streamline dispatch planning.
This helps prevent spoilage, reduces human error and combats theft or mismanagement of stored grain.
While this full automation brings fears to those who work for the Grain Marketing Board (GMB), Midlands Province director of Agricultural engineering and farm infrastructure development Engineer Andrew Mupariwa said in this case, AI has come as a plus to employment creation.
“Look at how technology is already helping our farmers with things like irrigation scheduling and pest control,” he explained during a tour of these cutting-edge silos.
“The introduction of AI and automation comes not as a replacement of people but as an additional infrastructure to the existing one. This means we have created another entity which will employ more people with the expertise of AI to add on those who already work for GMB. It is a plus for employment creation not otherwise.”
This sentiment underscores the idea of AI as an augmenting force, creating demand for individuals who can bridge the gap between traditional skills and new technologies.
In most cities, ride-hailing applications like InDrive and Bolt, while popularised, did not eliminate the need for vehicles or drivers, but rather reorganised and expanded the transport sector.
Instead of one physically looking for a taxi, just a click on the application leads to the closest car arriving, a plus for customers and hassle-free for the driver who just needs to have signed up on the application to get clients.
For drivers like Mr Tapiwa Machona, a former security guard who signed up with InDrive after struggling to find stable employment, these platforms represent a smart form of job creation.
“Before InDrive, I was on a fixed salary, long hours and little flexibility. Now, using the app’s technology, I can choose when I work, where I work and I have a direct connection to my customers. The AI in the app matches riders with drivers efficiently, creating opportunities for income that simply did not exist on this scale before. It is not just driving; it is managing my own small business, powered by this smart technology,” said Mr Machona.
AI in other industries will likely follow a similar pattern.
In an interview, Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Edgar Moyo called for a shift in skills development and adaptation to technology-related jobs for both public and private sector workers as the world transitions towards automation.
He emphasised that digitisation leads to a change in job focus, moving away from manual labour.
“Once you digitise, people do not lose jobs. There is a shift in terms of job focus. You move away from manuals, you go towards automation,” Minister Moyo said.
To address this transition, the minister stressed the need for skills development programmes to prioritise technology.
He envisions innovation hubs in universities and colleges playing a key role in developing new technological solutions.
“Therefore, our skills development should address technology, so that our people go into technology development and technology-related jobs rather than manual jobs. So we are looking at innovation hubs in universities and colleges bringing up new solutions to what we have.
“If, for example, a machine that we have doing some kind of job is doing maybe 220 items per hour, let us get someone innovative enough to make the machine achieve 500 items,” he said.
Minister Moyo believes that technological advancements will ultimately benefit the economy.
“It is going to bring down the cost of production. It is going to create new jobs in the technology development sector.
So it is merely a shift of focus,” he said.
And so, as Zimbabwe joined the global community in commemorating Workers’ Day, the narrative emerging from its fields, cities and modernising infrastructure speaks not of wholesale job destruction, but rather a dynamic reshuffling of skills and opportunities.
From Ms Makwarimba’s tech-assisted farm in Lions Den, where innovation created a new role for Tendai, to Mr Machona’s flexible livelihood powered by ride-hailing AI, and the skilled technicians maintaining Kwekwe’s smart silos, a new landscape of work is taking shape.
As the nation embraces the digital age, the integration of AI and automation is birthing unforeseen roles and empowering individuals in unexpected ways.
The call from Minister Moyo for proactive skills development and the fostering of innovation hubs underscores the national commitment to ensuring that the “smartness” of technology translates into shared prosperity and a resilient future for all Zimbabwean workers, contributing meaningfully to the global workforce as it too navigates this transformative era.
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