Harare – Zimbabwe is moving beyond isolated digitisation efforts toward building robust ecosystem infrastructure anchored on reliable power and sovereign data centres, ICT Minister Tatenda Mavetera said Sunday.

She said this following a high-level delegation’s return from the 11th Digital Industry of Industrial Russia (CIPR) Conference in Nizhny Novgorod.

The delegation was led by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, retired general and doctor, Mavetera confirmed in a statement of the engagements.

“I held productive bilateral discussions with Russia’s Deputy Minister for Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media, Mr Alexandr Shojtov, on deepening cooperation between our two countries in ICTs, innovation, and digital transformation,” Mavetera said.

The minister also took part in a meeting with Nizhny Novgorod Governor Gleb Nikitin to explore business and investment opportunities between Zimbabwe and Russia.

Speaking during a panel on building ecosystems for smart manufacturing in developing countries, Mavetera said: “Zimbabwe is deliberately moving beyond isolated digitisation toward robust ecosystem infrastructure. This transformation must be anchored on reliable power and sovereign data centres to truly empower local industry and homegrown innovation.”

Mavetera later joined Vice President Chiwenga for business engagements with regional companies and represented the Vice President at a meeting with Zimbabwean students studying in Nizhny Novgorod.

“We shared messages of hope and delivered grocery hampers from His Excellency President Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa – a touching gesture of care from home,” the minister said.

Mavetera described the trip as “insightful and highly informative,” adding that Zimbabwe will continue pursuing a digitised national landscape that learns from others but develops “with Zimbabwean characteristics, ethical and cultural contexts.”