Online Reporter
Talent Gore
Herald Reporter
Robotics, artificial intelligence and coding are critical to equipping young people with the skills to drive innovation and economic growth, Skills Audit and Development Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere has said.
Speaking after officially opening the two-day Robokorda International Robotics Competition 2026 at the Zimbabwe National Defence University just outside Harare on Thursday, Minister Muswere said the initiative supports the country’s skills development agenda and Vision 2030.
He said Government wants learners to move beyond consuming technology and start developing solutions for local industries.
“We are building this robotics army of young people that are going to define our participation as original equipment manufacturers in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, but not as consumers only,” he said.
“Our partnership between the Ministry of Skills Audit and Development, in partnership with Robokorda Africa and Zimbabwe National Defence University, is to underline the importance of skills development, the utilisation of robotics, artificial intelligence, ICT development, modalities in order to inculcate a culture of innovation and invention.”
Minister Muswere said he was impressed by the innovations showcased by learners from primary and secondary schools across the country, particularly projects in agriculture, mining and manufacturing.
“We toured a number of stands from primary and secondary school learners and were impressed by the great work they showcased in innovation and invention,” he said.
The projects, he added, reflected the growing emphasis on STEM education, with Government building a generation of young people capable of developing and producing their own technologies.
ICT, Postal and Courier Services Deputy Minister Dingumuzi Phuti said the quality of projects exhibited by learners demonstrated the potential of the country’s future workforce.
“The ability to bring together students and to create a prototype that develops into a robot, which is an attempt at that level to develop a child who will have a project that answers to the needs of society as well as industry, is the future,” he said.
“As the Ministry of ICT, we have promoted robotics as well as coding and encouraged and supported those being learned at school and we applaud the leadership of President Mnangagwa for directing this charter in this manner, where you would realise that this comes from the implementation of Education 5.0.”
Robokorda Africa chief executive Mr Dambudzo Roy Nyathi said the competition was aimed at nurturing young innovators capable of developing solutions suited to African conditions and markets.
“The idea is to make young innovators the creators of their own products. They must be able to create, make their own and get into the sub-Saharan markets,” he said.
“Africa has to come up with its own AI solutions. We need to come up with our own artificial intelligence solutions that match us, that work with us and that work with our own peculiar conditions.”
The competition ends on Friday.
