The TelOne Golf made a successful return to the local calendar with a huge turnout at Royal Harare Golf Club on Friday.
The event brought together at least 120 golfers, including key corporate partners, strategic stakeholders, and government officials, for a memorable day of intense competition, high-level networking, and camaraderie.
Playing under the individual stableford format, the golfers braved the pristine 18-hole course, with Walter Stephen ultimately emerging as the champion of the day after amassing an impressive 40 points.
The event was graced by the Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services, minister Tatenda Mavetera, who not only participated on the green but also commended TelOne’s strategic shift from a traditional connectivity provider to a cutting-edge digital solutions hub.
Mavetera highlighted that TelOne's current trajectory aligns perfectly with the country's national development goals and the National AI Strategy.
"I'm very happy as Minister that now most of our SOEs (state owned enterprises) are now moving from just being a connectivity provider and now providing for solutions, digital solutions, which are in line with one of the provisions of our National AI Strategy, where we speak into service provision in building artificial intelligence," he said.
"So, we are grateful that now TelOne, before we used to know it as PTC, but it then moved to become a solution provider for connectivity.
“Now you see that they are providing for bandwidth, which is quite cheap to the people of Zimbabwe.
“All we need to do now is to see how we can really move towards making sure that Telone will be able to look at use cases, like what it did on our traffic monitoring system.
“They also have got an agri-tech system, which they have embedded artificial intelligence."
The minister emphasised the importance of state-owned enterprises remaining competitive, profitable, and proactive in engaging the market to achieve Vision 2030.
"As a country, we are happy that what they are doing here, engaging partners, really gets them in business.
“They need to be profitable, they need at the same time to make sure that they do not treat business as usual... I am grateful that golf teaches you three things.
“It teaches you patience, it teaches you precision, and also relationship building. This is a great opportunity for Telone to also build their relationship with their various customers, so that at least they become relevant.”
Speaking during the cocktail and prize-giving ceremony, TelOne CEO Lawrence Nkala drew a parallel between the discipline required in golf and the strategic vision needed to drive Zimbabwe's digital economy.
"Today's golf tournament was more than a sporting event. It was an opportunity to strengthen partnerships, foster collaboration and celebrate the spirit of teamwork that drives business success," Nkala said.
"Much like golf, business requires vision, discipline, consistency and resilience.
“Such is achieved through careful planning, strategic decision-making and a commitment to continuous improvement.
“Just as golf requires patience, precision and teamwork, so too does the task of building our nation's digital future."
Nkala reiterated TelOne's unwavering commitment to moving beyond basic connectivity by investing heavily in next-generation infrastructure, including cloud computing, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.
"The relationships represented in this room have played a significant role in our transformation journey as we continue to evolve from a traditional telecommunications provider into a leading digital solutions company," he said.
"TelOne remains committed to supporting the transformation through continued investment in broadband infrastructure, cloud services, cybersecurity solutions, data centre services, digital platforms and innovative ICT solutions that empower businesses and communities.
“Our strategic focus is not merely on connecting people, it is on enabling businesses to thrive in the digital economy."
The return of the TelOne Golf Day proved to be more than just a tournament; it served as a vital platform for fostering public-private dialogue, cementing corporate relationships, and reinforcing TelOne's pivotal role in steering Zimbabwe towards a digitally empowered future.