Tinotenda Hove – Service providers in Zimbabwe have been urged to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance customer satisfaction and overall organisational efficiency, as industry leaders, government officials, and experts gathered for the Customer Experience Association of Zimbabwe (CXAZ)’s annual flagship conference.

The event, themed “Innovating Public Service Delivery Using Customer Experience Principles,” brought together a full house of professionals from both the public and private sectors, all focused on rethinking customer engagement strategies in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

CXAZ Marketing Manager, Mrs Aquiline Mazhawidza, highlighted the steady progress Zimbabwe is making in improving customer satisfaction.
“As CXAZ, we conduct Customer Satisfaction Index reports, and as of last year, the customer satisfaction index was at 66 percent, up from 65 percent in 2023. This figure surpasses the continental average of 52 percent, which means that local organisations keep on improving customer engagement,” she said.
“We have brought players from both the private and public sectors to share ideas and continue improving client satisfaction, while reminding each other to tap into the benefits of AI in this digitally driven economy.”

ZBC Director for Marketing, Mr Fredius Dzumbunu, welcomed the insights drawn from the conference and the relevance of data-driven decision-making.
“The Customer Satisfaction Index Reports are critical because they point out areas needing further investigation, gaps, and milestones achieved. I am grateful that this conference has brought together key players to deliberate on ways to enhance service delivery and client management,” he said.

Echoing the same sentiment, Deputy Registrar General for Provincial Operations, Mrs Christina Chikerema, said the conference offered valuable practical strategies.
“I am walking away with new tools to map our customer touchpoints and apply data from surveys to better our delivery. The Second Republic emphasises the need to create an ease-of-doing-business environment, and this is what we are being reminded about,” she said.
“The ultimate message is that the customer is king, and we should therefore exhaust all ideas to promote that.”

Officially opening the conference, Deputy Minister of ICT, Postal and Courier Services, Honourable Dingumuzi Phuti, stressed that AI must be viewed as a game-changing enabler in service delivery and innovation.

“Artificial intelligence presents an opportunity for Zimbabwe to leapfrog in service delivery, efficiency, and innovation. Whether it is in healthcare, agriculture, education, or government services, AI is helping us understand customer needs faster, personalize services, and reduce turnaround times,” said Minister Phuti.

“In the private sector, it’s driving smarter decision-making and automating repetitive tasks, freeing up resources for more strategic