THE fourth edition of the In Conversation with Trevor (ICWT) Ideas Festival will kick off in Nyanga at the end of October, with the event cementing its place as Zimbabwe’s premier platform for bold conversations on leadership, innovation and economic transformation.
An annual, apolitical gathering, the festival champions open dialogue and practical solutions to shape the country’s future.
The festival, which is slated for October 28 to 31 this year at Troutbeck Hotel, will be held under the theme The Future of Human Capital, Innovation and Ethics in the Age of AI.
At a time when artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping industries, jobs and leadership, Zimbabwe is grappling with how to prepare its workforce, attract investment and uphold ethical standards in decision-making.
Placing human capital and AI ethics at the heart of the agenda, the Ideas Festival is positioning itself as more than just a talk shop, but a platform for charting how Zimbabwe can harness innovation responsibly, build principled leadership and create opportunities for inclusive growth.
Speaking ahead of the event, In Conversation with Trevor host and Alpha Media Holdings chairman Trevor Ncube said expectations were high.
“We expect to continue the momentum of focusing on ethical and principled leadership, creating an enabling environment for innovation and investments in our country that help to create jobs,” he said.
The Ideas Festival, has over the past three years been headlined by an impressive cast of top academics, industrialists and leaders of start-up enterprises, serving a calabash of strategies that can unlock Zimbabwe’s full potential.
- In Conversation with Trevor: Chisamba: Let’s be proud of ourselves
- Harvest hay to prevent veldfires: Ema
- In Conversation with Trevor: ‘I tried to change Zanu PF from within’ – Margaret Dongo
- Public relations: How artificial intelligence is changing the face of PR
Keep Reading
What sets this year’s edition apart, Ncube said, was the surge in partnerships and corporate buy-in.
“We have an increase in the extent and the number of partnerships. This is hugely encouraging because it is proof that many companies see value in what we do — namely gathering, as the world gathers annually in Davos, to focus on innovation, ways to grow our economy and mentor young entrepreneurs,” he said.
Last year, the festival brought together a diverse group of thought leaders to tackle Zimbabwe’s challenges, focusing on ethics, entrepreneurship and sustainable growth.
Executive chairperson of the African Academy on Artificial Intelligence, Terrence Okeke Taylor, opened the event with “Shaping the Future of Africa with Artificial Intelligence (AI)”, stressing the need for Africa to develop policies that balance AI benefits with ethical safeguards.
His insights sparked debate on AI's potential benefits and risks, encouraging participants to advocate for community-centred AI development as he emphasised the urgent need for Africa to build a talent pool to fully embrace AI and other emerging technologies through polices and institutions.
Meanwhile, the Ideas Tank emphasised the importance of empowering young leaders among other key highlights.
The Ideas Tank is a partnership with the Eight2Five Innovation Hub powered by Old Mutual allowing young entrepreneurs to pitch innovative solutions, showcasing Zimbabwe’s youth as drivers of sustainable change.
The event, which is dubbed Zimbabwe’s Davos, has been effective in terms of unleashing the country’s optimum potential in the economic, cultural, political and sporting spheres, among others.
