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Business Reporter
OLD Mutual Zimbabwe’s Eight2Five innovation hub has commenced its cloud computing upskilling programme for local information communication technology (ICT) entrepreneurs and start-ups.
The hub hosted the first Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud computing onboarding session on October 29, 2022 in Harare for the programme that seeks to upskill local entrepreneurs and start-ups in solving real-world problems through technology.
Information Communication Technology (ICT) Minister Janfan Muswere is on record saying access to and use of ICTs should become pervasive in all facets of life leading to digitalisation of the economy as envisioned by the National Development Strategy (NDS1).
In line with the Government’s policy thrust, the minister demanded earlier this year for responsible agents to ensure that every community in Zimbabwe has good network coverage and for ICT gadgets to be affordable to all citizens stressing it was everyone’s responsibility to ensure that no one is left behind.
As such, Old Mutual ICT executive Mr Takudzwa Muzvidzwa said at the launch the introduction of AWS aimed to empower start-ups to take on massive challenges and build companies with far-reaching impact on economic development.
“Ensuring that our entrepreneurs get the globally competitive advantage is of great importance to us, this is why we took the initiative to put this together and continue the journey of empowerment,” he said.
Eight2Five, powered by Old Mutual, is an innovative hub that partners with entrepreneurs to achieve a shared vision of solving real-world and business problems through technology.
For Old Mutual Zimbabwe, entrepreneurship is one of its strategic pillars to ensure the growth of small to medium enterprises and informal sector.
Mr Muzvidzwa said AWS was not just a cloud computing service but it also offered special benefits to start-ups in terms of technical support and training.
AWS senior developer Advocate Veliswa Boya also attended the event.
According to Mr Muzvidzwa, the vision of Eight2Five hub is to partner with entrepreneurs to achieve a shared vision of solving real-world and business problems through technology and the onboarding session was a true testament to this.
“The AWS user group community seeks to offer technical resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities to entrepreneurs, AWS enthusiasts, and emerging thought leaders.
“AWS experts connect and create a community in the regions they are in, across the world and the Eight2Five hub was a great starting point for the Zimbabwean community.
“The end goal is to increase the global footprint of AWS across the world and create support hubs in places where AWS doesn’t have a strong presence yet,” he said.
He said AWS was the most agile cloud platform, which is what start-ups need given the prospect of scaling up fast and the demands of adding new features and applications quickly in a fast-paced digital world.
From the beginning of 2018, the Government has shown commendable seriousness in the setting up of innovation hubs at six of its universities as it intends to direct higher and tertiary education in the country towards becoming actively involved in the revival of the country’s economy through the provision of technical and research-based solutions.
The Government believes in a paradigm shift to one that sees tertiary education playing a central role in developing appropriate home-bred innovations and technologies for the local industrial sector that will help spur the country towards the envisaged 2030 status.
The country’s economic blueprint National Development Strategy (NDS1) emphasises the digital economy as one of the 14 national priorities for the period 2021 to 2025.
Online Reporter