DIGITAL FUTURE NEEDS COLLABORATION

Mutati urges stronger partnerships between Government and telecommunications operators to expand connectivity and make digital services affordable, as Airtel targets 10 million additional smartphones within five years.

By Francis Maingaila ♥️

Lusaka, Zambia24 — November 5, 2026 — Zambia's digital transformation will only succeed when telecommunications companies, Government and other industry players work together to make digital services accessible and affordable to ordinary citizens.

Science and Technology Minister Felix Mutati says achieving this ambition requires telecommunications operators to move beyond competition and embrace collaboration, particularly in investing in infrastructure and expanding connectivity to underserved communities.

Mr Mutati said while competition had played an important role in driving innovation, improving services and attracting investment into the sector, the industry needed a more coordinated approach to ensure that available resources benefited more people.

Speaking during a Grow Zambia Breakfast meeting, the minister illustrated the importance of collaboration by referring to three farmers who, working independently, could not construct a water channel to their fields but could achieve the objective by pooling their efforts.

He said telecommunications companies needed to adopt a similar approach by working together to build infrastructure, extend network coverage and avoid unnecessary duplication of investments.

Mr Mutati observed that the practice of several operators establishing separate infrastructure in the same locations needed to give way to more coordinated investment that maximised available resources.

He acknowledged that competition had contributed to the development of Zambia's telecommunications industry, including investment in network infrastructure and the introduction of 5G technology.

However, he said the sector had reached a point where collaboration needed to take centre stage to accelerate the country's digital development.

Mr Mutati disclosed that 47 communication towers had been delivered during the previous year, describing the development as part of the foundation for further expansion of the sector.

He said Government wanted the industry to move beyond incremental improvements and work towards clearly defined national development targets.

One of the country's ambitions is to increase smartphone access to 10 million devices within five years, a target Mr Mutati said required concerted efforts from telecommunications operators and other players in the digital ecosystem.

He stressed that achieving this ambition involved more than expanding network coverage, noting that smartphones and broadband services also needed to become affordable and accessible to ordinary citizens.

The minister challenged industry players to engage Government with practical proposals on the investments, policy interventions and infrastructure required to achieve the country's digital ambitions.

He also emphasised the importance of recognising the ICT sector's contribution to economic growth, employment creation and national development.

Mr Mutati said expanding digital access would open opportunities for businesses, service providers and young people seeking to participate in the growing digital economy.

He noted that technology was creating new ways for people to earn a living, establish businesses and reach markets beyond their immediate communities.

The engagement also highlighted the growing creator economy, which is increasingly providing income-generating opportunities for people producing and distributing digital content through online platforms.

Participants heard that the global creator economy was estimated to be worth approximately US$320 billion, with projections indicating that it would reach US$820 billion by 2030.

Africa's creator economy was also projected to grow to approximately US$17 billion by 2030.

The meeting heard that smartphones were increasingly becoming important tools for young people combining formal education with content creation, enabling them to reach wider audiences and explore opportunities to earn income from their work.

Mr Mutati welcomed the industry's contribution to the country's digital transformation agenda and reiterated the need for Government and private sector players to translate national ambitions into measurable results.

He said Zambia needed to move forward with clear targets rather than rely on general commitments to increase investment and improve connectivity.

Airtel Zambia Managing Director Hussein Bandayi has also called for concerted efforts to put an additional 10 million smartphones into the hands of Zambians over the next five years, describing affordable digital access as a critical driver of economic transformation.

Mr Bandayi said Zambia's digital ambitions would only translate into meaningful economic benefits when more citizens, particularly those in rural communities and low-income households, had access to affordable smartphones and reliable connectivity.

Speaking during a presentation on the role of telecommunications in national development, he said digital connectivity had become an essential enabler of economic activity, extending beyond the telecommunications industry into agriculture, mining, education, healthcare, financial services and other sectors.

He said the country's ambition to transform its economy over the next five years required a deliberate approach to expanding digital access, with smartphones playing a central role in connecting citizens to information, services and economic opportunities.

Mr Bandayi observed that although network infrastructure remained important, access to devices was equally critical, warning that the benefits of improved connectivity remained limited for people who could not afford smartphones.

He said a smartphone was no longer simply a communication device but an economic tool capable of improving productivity, opening markets and helping people participate in the digital economy.

Using agriculture as an example, Mr Bandayi explained that farmers with smartphones could access weather information, agricultural advice, market prices and other information necessary to improve their decisions and productivity.

He said digital technology also offered opportunities to improve healthcare through access to information and artificial intelligence-supported solutions, while strengthening education, financial inclusion and the delivery of public services.

Mr Bandayi said increased smartphone ownership would contribute to improved productivity, business efficiency, revenue generation and broader participation in economic activities.

He cited research indicating that a 10 percent increase in mobile broadband penetration could increase Africa's gross domestic product by approximately 2.4 percent, underscoring the economic importance of expanding digital connectivity.

However, he identified the cost of smartphones as one of the major obstacles to achieving wider digital inclusion.

Mr Bandayi proposed measures to make entry-level smartphones more affordable, including reviewing the tax burden on devices, strengthening financing arrangements and developing partnerships that would enable more Zambians to acquire smartphones.

He suggested that Government and other stakeholders explore ways of supporting low-income households through targeted interventions, while telecommunications companies and financial institutions strengthened device-financing programmes.

Mr Bandayi also called for collaboration between Government, industry players and other institutions to accelerate smartphone adoption, saying the responsibility of expanding digital access extended beyond telecommunications companies.

He reaffirmed Airtel Zambia's commitment to supporting the country's digital transformation through continued investment in telecommunications infrastructure and services.

Mr Bandayi said the company's ambition was to contribute to a digitally connected Zambia where technology served as a practical instrument for economic growth and improved livelihoods.

He stressed that the country's digital transformation agenda needed to focus not only on expanding connectivity but also on ensuring that ordinary citizens had the devices necessary to benefit from it.

"Smartphone is not a luxury; it is an economy to grow the nation," was the central message of his presentation.