Online Reporter
Nyore Madzianike
Senior Reporter
Zimpapers, the country’s largest diversified media group, has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening collaboration with the Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre to promote and affiliate training courses.
The commitment was made by Zimpapers Group chief executive officer, Mr William Chikoto, while welcoming a SIRDC delegation that toured the multimedia group’s facilities in Harare yesterday.
The delegation, comprising about 20 officers and led by SIRDC chief executive officer, Dr Leonard Madzingaidzo, visited Zimpapers’ digital newsrooms and the company’s printing division, Natprint.
The tour follows a memorandum of understanding signed between the two organisations in January this year, which provides a framework for collaboration on training and course affiliation.
Mr Chikoto described the partnership as an important milestone and expressed the group’s readiness to move into the implementation phase of the agreement.
“Today marks an important milestone in the journey we began together on the 16th of January 2026, when Zimpapers and SIRDC signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on the affiliation and promotion of training courses,” he said.
The tour was organised to give the SIRDC delegation an overview of Zimpapers’ operations and to pave the way for further engagement.
“In our communication to your team, we highlighted the next steps, including today’s reciprocal visit, the formation of joint focus teams and the development of clear implementation plans for all identified initiatives.
“I want to reaffirm here that Zimpapers is fully committed, fully prepared and fully energised to move to the next phase of this partnership,” Mr Chikoto said.
Beyond training, the collaboration will also focus on promoting SIRDC’s products and services through Zimpapers’ platforms.
“We are excited about the promotional work ahead, not only to amplify SIRDC’s products and services, but also to collaborate in delivering training programmes that empower industry, communities and the nation at large,” he said.
Dr Madzingaidzo described the visit as a major step towards strengthening the growing relationship between the two enterprises.
He underscored the importance of formalising the working relationship to intensify SIRDC’s impact by leveraging Zimpapers’ numerous digital and print platforms.
“We managed to visit a significant number of corporations under the Zimpapers group and this was made possible by the relationship that we have created between SIRDC and Zimpapers group through a memorandum of understanding that we recently signed in January this year,” Dr Madzingaidzo said.
“You are looking at two State enterprises, institutions that are working very strongly in the area of supporting Government programmes and initiatives with a view to creating and bringing solutions to the people of Zimbabwe through our two institutions.”
He commended Zimpapers for its digital transformation efforts, particularly in the era of artificial intelligence (AI), which he cited as a key motivation for the partnership.
Dr Madzingaidzo highlighted the potential for collaboration among SIRDC, the Zimbabwe Technology Centre and the Zimpapers Training Institute in areas such as staff exchanges, capacity building for small and medium-sized enterprises and training for the informal sector.
“We also identified areas of collaboration… in the area of staff exchanges, capacitation of our SMEs so that they can better perform in terms of their business operations, and also training of our informal sector so that they can improve the quality of their products, the quality of their services with a view to enhancing their contribution to national economic development,” he said.
He noted that the Zimpapers Training Institute could play a major role in human capital development, which is an enabler of economic transformation.
“As you know, Zimbabwe, through the vision of His Excellency President Mnangagwa, the vision that he has enunciated is for Zimbabwe to become a prosperous and empowered society by 2030.
“This can only happen if all segments, all levels of our society are contributing to national development, and we feel the SMEs play a very significant role in that regard,” Dr Madzingaidzo said.
Looking ahead, Dr Madzingaidzo expected closer engagements, particularly in research and development, technical collaboration in scientific metrology, and waste management and recycling.
“We have also seen opportunities again in the area of waste management, waste recycling. As you know, these days issues of corporate social responsibility and green economy are taking centre stage.
“When you talk of corporate sustainability issues, as a technology organisation, we will be working with Zimpapers to look at it in its entirety and seek to provide our expertise in that regard,” he said.
His organisation would leverage all Zimpapers’ platforms to enhance its visibility, describing the MoU as a synergistic approach towards national development.
“We are very, very excited and look forward to continuous mutual benefits and engagement from the platforms,” Dr Madzingaidzo said.
