Tendai Kamhungira 
ZIMBABWE is now ready to adopt the smart cities concept that optimises city functions and promotes economic growth, while also improving the quality of life for citizens by using smart technologies and data, a leading investment firm has said.
Global Renaissance Investments, which is organising an international smart cities conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in February, noted that Zimbabwe should be part of the emerging smart cities industry that is expected to grow exponentially over the next couple of years.
The International Data Corporation predicts that spending on smart cities in the Middle East and Africa region will exceed $4,4 billion by 2025. “For years a lack of infrastructure has been cited as one of the country’s biggest drawbacks.
The lack of infrastructure, however, means that Zimbabwe, and other countries in Africa, can implement smart technologies without incurring the cost of maintaining legacy infrastructure, paving the way for the emergence of smart cities at a rapid rate,” GRI chief executive officer Ngoni Dzirutwe said.
He indicated a smart city means greater access to technology for all, lifting the digital literacy of the country amid a technological age, thus creating jobs in smart sectors, and directing the country’s focus toward continuous innovation. “The economic repercussions of this are significant and should not be overlooked. Smart cities are a modern way of stimulating the job market and perpetrating growth in the public and private sectors,” added Dzirutwe. This comes at a time when Mulk International, a United Arab Emirates-based industrial conglomerate, is developing a $500 million cyber city in Zimbabwe.
The project, covering 2,5 million square metres, will comprise 250 townhouses, more than 80 luxury villas, apartment blocks, high-tech office facilities, a 15-storey commercial tower, and landscaped gardens – all within a gated community. Meanwhile, Dzirutwe said Zimbabwe has a lot to learn from Dubai, whose pioneering smart city strategy has helped it to become one of the world’s most exciting and futuristic metropolises.
“Dubai has become a pivotal hub in the global economy, offering growth and expansion opportunities for investors across strategic and future-oriented sectors in financial services, logistics, hospitality and trade as well as leading ‘Industry 4.0’ technologies, accelerating digital transformation across all sectors, industries, and smart city services,” he added.
