Zimbabwe courts Indian IT and BPO firms to build outsourcing hub
- ICT minister Tatenda Mavetera pitched partnerships with Indian BPO and IT services firms.
- The India–Africa Tech and Entrepreneurship Summit ran Oct. 28 to 29 in Harare.
- Pangolin AI is a flagship initiative of Zimbabwe’s National AI Strategy 2026-2030.
- Pangolin’s infrastructure is due to be fully operational in the first quarter of 2027.
HARARE, ZIMBABWE — Zimbabwe is seeking to establish itself as a business process outsourcing and IT services hub by partnering with Indian technology companies. The government wants the partnerships to create jobs, attract investment and increase foreign currency earnings.
ICT minister Tatenda Mavetera made the case ahead of the India–Africa Tech and Entrepreneurship Summit, held Oct. 28 to 29 at the Hyatt Regency Harare. The partnerships could develop the local technology sector through investment in data centers, connectivity and skills development, she said.
Talent, location and reforms
In a statement on LinkedIn, Mavetera said Zimbabwe could leverage its English-speaking workforce and strategic location to serve regional and international markets, ITWeb reported on Oct. 29. She framed the pitch as a partnership, not a request for aid.
“We are not asking for charity. We are asking for co-creation, and we bring the talent, the location, and the reforms,” said the minister.
She listed what the partnerships would bring to the country’s ICT sector and BPOs: jobs, export earnings, skills transfer in AI, data, cybersecurity and service delivery, and investment in data centers, connectivity and joint ventures. “Indian BPO and IT services firms partnering here means employment for our young, English-speaking talent,” she said.
Pangolin AI at the center
A key part of the strategy is Pangolin, the country’s artificial intelligence (AI) platform and a flagship initiative of the National AI Strategy 2026-2030. The state-backed platform provides sovereign data and high-performance computing infrastructure, designed to keep sensitive national records within Zimbabwe. It also gives local start-ups and researchers tools to develop home-grown AI solutions.
The infrastructure is scheduled to become fully operational in the first quarter of 2027. “Our platform, Pangolin AI, gives local firms sovereign infrastructure to build on,” Mavetera said.
Building on March incentives
The pitch builds on the BPO framework Zimbabwe launched in March. OA reported then that the framework gave licensed investors a 15% corporate tax rate and suspended customs duties on approved ICT infrastructure.
Success will depend on Zimbabwe’s ability to develop the digital infrastructure needed to support technology-intensive businesses, ITWeb noted.
What it means for buyers
Mavetera is pitching Zimbabwe as a nearshore outsourcing destination for African and global markets, with Indian partners supplying the investment and training.
Companies weighing new business process outsourcing (BPO) locations in Africa can compare established providers on the top BPO companies worldwide list.
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Disclosure: Outsource Accelerator uses AI tools in the backend of its editorial workflow. Every article is reviewed and verified by a human editor before publication.
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