Zimbabwe: Netone Urges Youth to Harness Ai As Driver of Jobs and Digital Transformation

What the report says

Zimbabwean mobile operator NetOne used an Artificial Intelligence Conference address to urge young people to view AI as a tool for innovation, industrialisation and employment creation. The company said the technology is already influencing sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, education, mining, manufacturing and financial services, and that Zimbabwe can use it to advance its digital transformation.

The remarks, reported by 263Chat and distributed by AllAfrica, were framed around the theme “Innovate, Industrialise and Create Employment with AI.” NetOne told students attending the event that the next generation could help build the country’s AI ecosystem, with future roles potentially including software engineering, cybersecurity, robotics, data science and digital entrepreneurship.

NetOne also cautioned that AI’s benefits come with cybersecurity risks. It said the same tools that can help detect fraud, identify attacks and protect customer data can also be misused for phishing, identity theft, deepfakes and other cybercrime. The company said AI and cybersecurity should be developed together, and said it is investing in technologies to strengthen network security, improve customer experience and flag suspicious activity.

The statement also linked the message to NetOne’s 30 years of operations, as the company said it is shifting beyond traditional telecom services toward digital solutions, startup support and smart communities. The broader significance is that Zimbabwe’s technology and education stakeholders are being encouraged to pair AI adoption with digital safety and skills development.