Zimbabwe ICT Excellence Awards (2025)

History and Evolution

While private sector entities previously hosted various ICT recognition events in Zimbabwe, the Ministry of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services officially expanded and nationalized the ICT Excellence Awards. This transition elevated the awards to a formal government-backed platform, emphasizing the national importance of the ICT sector and ensuring a comprehensive, inclusive reach across the country. The 2nd edition in 2025 reflects the Ministry's continued commitment to this vision, building upon the successes and lessons from the inaugural event.

Objectives

The primary objectives of the Zimbabwe ICT Excellence Awards include:

• Recognizing Innovation: Celebrating groundbreaking ICT solutions, products, and services that drive progress and address national challenges.

• Promoting Excellence: Acknowledging the highest standards of achievement in various ICT domains, from infrastructure development to digital content creation.

• Fostering Growth: Stimulating competition and encouraging further investment, research, and development within the ICT sector.

• Bridging the Digital Divide: Highlighting initiatives that enhance digital inclusion, literacy, and access for all Zimbabweans, particularly in underserved areas.

• Inspiring Future Generations: Showcasing role models and success stories to encourage youth participation and career development in ICT.

• Policy Reinforcement: Directly supporting the strategic goals outlined in the Zimbabwe National ICT Policy (2022-2027).

Categories and Scope

The 2025 awards feature 17 distinct categories, meticulously designed to cover the diverse facets of Zimbabwe's ICT landscape. These categories ensure that contributions across various sectors and levels of impact are acknowledged. Examples of categories include:

• ICT Innovator of the Year (2024 to 2025): Honors organizations or individuals for transformative innovation.

• Best e-Government Initiative: Recognizes public sector projects leveraging ICT for improved service delivery and transparency.

• Cybersecurity Initiative of the Year: Celebrates outstanding achievements in improving digital safety and resilience.

• Outstanding ICT Start-up: Acknowledges young companies demonstrating exceptional potential and innovation.

• Digital Inclusion Champion: Awards efforts to bridge the digital divide and promote inclusivity.

• Best Use of ICTs in Tertiary Education: Recognizes initiatives integrating technology to enhance learning outcomes.

• (And 11 other categories covering areas such as mobile technology, software development, green ICT, and emerging technologies.)

Nomination and Judging Process

The awards operate on a transparent and inclusive process:

1. Submissions Open: An open call is made for nominations and entries, allowing individuals, companies, government departments, and educational institutions to participate. For the 2025 edition, submissions are open from October 1 to October 31, 2025, via the official website: zimictawards.org.zw.

2. Expert Adjudication: A panel of seven expert adjudicators, drawn from diverse backgrounds within the ICT sector, evaluates the submitted entries against specific judging criteria for each category. This phase runs from November 1 to November 6, 2025.

3. Public Voting: In addition to expert adjudication, a public voting mechanism allows the broader community to have a say in selecting the winners across all categories, fostering national engagement.

Awards Ceremony

The culminating event, the Awards Ceremony, is scheduled for November 7, 2025, at 18:00 Hours. The venue for this prestigious event is the Rainbow Towers in Harare, Zimbabwe. This gala occasion brings together government officials, industry leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, academics, and other stakeholders to celebrate the achievements and contributions of the ICT community.

Impact and Future Outlook

The Zimbabwe ICT Excellence Awards play a crucial role in shaping the nation's digital future. By spotlighting exemplary work, they inspire further investment in technology, encourage collaboration between various sectors, and ultimately contribute to the realization of a digitally empowered Zimbabwe. The continuity of these awards, particularly under the direct purview of the Ministry of ICT, signifies a strong national commitment to leveraging technology for socio-economic development and global competitiveness.