IN a powerful culmination of creative energy, activism and youth empowerment, the 15th edition of Shoko Festival closed with a bold resolution to create more spaces for young people to innovate, collaborate and thrive.
Shoko Festival founder Samm “Cde Fatso” Monro reaffirmed his commitment to supporting youth-led innovation and social entrepreneurship, positioning the arts and digital spaces as essential vehicles for socio-economic transformation in Zimbabwe.
“Shoko Comedy Night was amazing! Such a great crowd and epic performances by the comedians. King Kandoro’s set was world class,” he said.
“The vibes at the Hub Unconference & Green Cities Expo have been fantastic. Inspiring discussions and performances on everything from decolonising the internet to building green, low carbon economies.”
One of the strongest outcomes from the Hub Unconference at Shoko Festival was the call to establish inclusive innovation hubs across communities and spaces where young people, regardless of their educational background, can access tools, mentorship and reliable internet to turn their ideas into impactful solutions.
These hubs should be open, well-resourced and rooted in local needs, offering pathways into tech, green entrepreneurship, digital arts and other emerging sectors.
Bathabile Dlamini, media and communications officer at the Accountability Lab Zimbabwe, moderated the Caucus conversation: Youth, Digital Hubs and Zim’s Tech Future, which was part of the Hub Unconference.
The caucus conversation, which included Members of Parliament Stanley Sakupwanya (Zanu PF) and Darlington Chigumbu (Citizens Coalition for Change) emphasised that Zimbabwe must create enabling spaces for youth innovation beyond formal education.
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Sakupwanya said many young people had demonstrated skills in cellphone repair, which should be formally recognised and supported.
He said innovation hubs should be accessible to all, not just to those enrolled in tertiary institutions.
Chigumbu highlighted the gaps in policy frameworks and stressed the need for government to benchmark against global best practices while tailoring solutions to Zimbabwe’s context.
He noted that current community information centres lack proper infrastructure, internet access and tools to drive genuine innovation.
Both MPs agreed that seed funding, open access to data and protection of intellectual property are critical if youth are to transform ideas into scalable solutions.
They also pointed out that young innovators must develop products that respond to local needs, such as agriculture, education and mining, rather than copying models from abroad.
The Hub Unconference recommended that there is need to expand access through developing innovation hubs that are open to all the youth, including those outside formal education.
This ensures that the youth are provided internet, modern tools and collaborative spaces.
The conference also emphasised the importance of policy alignment as a prerequisite so that updated laws and frameworks reflect the realities of the digital economy, including recognition of digital skills beyond basic ICT literacy and legal protection for intellectual property.
Dlamini highlighted the importance of efficient funding mechanisms characterised by dedicated seed funding streams for youth innovation, supported by government and private sector partnerships aligned to national development priorities.
“There is need to introduce open-data policies so that innovators and students can access government datasets to design context-relevant solutions,” she said.
“And as a mark of inclusivity there is need to ensure that marginalised groups, including persons with disabilities, have access to digital hubs and resources so that innovation is not exclusive but nationally representative.”
The Shoko Festival has once again proven that cultural platforms can spark vital conversations and shape national priorities.
As Zimbabwe navigates the digital age, the push to empower youth through accessible innovation spaces and inclusive policy frameworks must move beyond rhetoric to action.
With committed leadership, cross-sector collaboration and an unwavering focus on community empowerment, the vision of a vibrant, youth-driven innovation ecosystem can become a reality.
