Econet Wireless Zimbabwe has launched Econet AI, a standalone business unit aimed at accelerating the adoption of artificial intelligence across the economy.
Unveiled in Harare on Thursday, the unit debuted with a suite of products and services designed to fast-track AI uptake across multiple sectors, targeting both corporates and individuals.
As part of the rollout, Econet AI announced that, from May, its customers will receive six months’ free access to Google Gemini, a leading multimodal AI platform capable of processing and generating text, images, audio, video and code.
The company also introduced Cassava AiCloud, a high-performance computing platform powered by NVIDIA GPUs, enabling enterprises to run complex, data-intensive workloads. The infrastructure is hosted at the Cassava AI Factory in South Africa — currently the only facility of its kind on the continent.
The launch was attended by ICT, Postal and Courier Services Minister Tatenda Mavetera, senior government officials, regulators, business leaders and industry partners.
Econet Group chief executive Douglas Mboweni said the AI unit has been evolving over the past five years as an internal innovation hub.
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“We have been applying artificial intelligence across our operations — improving customer experience, optimising network performance and enhancing decision-making,” he said.
“Our experience shows AI is a transformative technology that every business should deploy. It reduces costs and has strong potential to drive revenue growth.”
He said the formal launch marks a shift to commercialisation, positioning Econet AI as a strategic partner for organisations seeking to modernise and scale in an increasingly digital global economy.
“We are now ready to take these solutions to market, drawing on capabilities from some of the world’s leading technology companies,” he added.
Employing more than 100 specialists, Econet AI is expected to anchor the group’s ambitions in one of the fastest-growing global sectors.
Minister Mavetera welcomed the development, saying it aligns with Zimbabwe’s recently launched National AI Strategy.
“The launch of Econet AI comes at the intersection of enabling government policy and private sector innovation,” she said.
“AI is no longer a future concept, but a present-day driver of economic growth, efficiency, productivity and innovation.”
She said the initiative supports the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), which seeks to build a digital, knowledge-driven, upper-middle-income economy.
“As Government, we fully support this milestone, which has the potential to empower local businesses, create jobs and strengthen Zimbabwe’s global competitiveness,” Mavetera said.
She added that authorities remain committed to fostering a policy environment that promotes innovation, noting the importance of private sector investment.
“The Econet Group has demonstrated strong confidence in Zimbabwe’s digital future. This is a shared commitment to economic growth and empowerment,” she said.
With a dedicated management team and expanding pool of specialists, Econet AI is positioned to help enterprises integrate AI into their operations — from automating routine processes to unlocking data-driven insights and improving productivity.
The launch comes amid a global surge in AI investment, as companies race to harness the technology’s transformative potential.