Zambia Charts Path to Digital Future at INFRATEL CEO’s Digital Transformation Breakfast
The Ministry of Technology and Science, in collaboration with INFRATEL, hosted a high-level Digital Transformation Breakfast at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre, with Honourable Felix C. Mutati, Minister of Technology and Science, as Guest of Honour.
The event brought together CEOs, senior government officials, industry captains, and global tech partners including Oracle and Cyberantics to explore Zambia’s digital evolution and the country’s bold steps toward a tech-driven economy.
The forum focused on Zambia’s journey from early connectivity to the integration of advanced digital technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), with a clear call to accelerate digitalisation across all sectors.
Standard Chartered Bank CEO Mr. Sonny Zulu urged institutions to move beyond conversations of digital transformation and focus on the realities of AI-readiness, particularly highlighting the need to digitise manual data. “Data is the fuel for AI. Without it, even the best AI systems will fail,” he said, citing the Judiciary as a leader in digitisation efforts.
He also commended the government’s commitment to consultative policymaking, especially in refining the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act, and welcomed engagements with the Data Protection Commissioner on creating laws that safeguard citizens without stifling trade or growth.
In his keynote address, Minister Mutati outlined three key pillars to anchor Zambia’s digital future: Trust and Confidence, Connectivity, and the Creation of Innovation Hubs. He explained that building trust is why government took a people-centered approach in developing the Cybersecurity Bill, ensuring it attracted investment while protecting citizens and infrastructure.
“Government is moving from a Data Protection Bill to a Data Management Bill that treats data as a valuable economic asset,” said Mutati. He also pointed to SMART Zambia’s digitisation of the FISP programme, which eliminated 220,000 ghost farmers and saved public funds, as a tangible benefit of digital innovation.
Mutati encouraged the private sector to embrace digitisation, noting its role in enhancing system efficiency, interconnectivity, and opportunity creation.
Dr. Evans Silavwe, CEO of INFRATEL, detailed the country’s shift from 2G to 5G, fibre optics, and AI-powered infrastructure. He noted how Zambia has moved from internet scepticism in the 1990s to widespread adoption of e-Government services through platforms like NAPSA, PACRA, ZRA, and mobile money innovations.
He further introduced INFRATEL’s latest AI-powered cybersecurity solutions, launched at the event, which align with the Cyber Act’s aims to reduce corruption and enhance system security.
“These tools will protect critical systems while supporting digital inclusion and financial access,” Dr. Silavwe said, referencing the successful implementation of the NAPSA A-OUT initiative.
