General profile Digital profile

Zimbabwe

Digital snapshot – key policies and laws

Zimbabwe’s digital profile is shaped first by a strong state-led policy architecture. The main anchors are the National ICT Policy 2022–2027, the Smart Zimbabwe 2030 Master Plan, and the National Broadband Plan 2023–2030, which together frame digital transformation around e-government, infrastructure, skills, shared platforms, and sectoral modernisation in areas such as health, education, agriculture, transport, and mining. The newer National AI Strategy 2026–2030, launched in March 2026, adds a distinct layer on AI adoption, governance, and capacity development.

On regulation, the most consequential instrument is the Cyber and Data Protection Act, which combines privacy, cybersecurity, cybercrime, and electronic evidence into a single law and designates POTRAZ as the Data Protection Authority. That framework has become more operational with the 2024 regulations on licensing data controllers and appointing data protection officers, followed by POTRAZ guidance in 2025.

Guarding data, governing speech

Zimbabwe’s Cyber and Data Protection Act is the country’s central digital governance law, combining rules on privacy, cybersecurity, cybercrime, and electronic evidence within a single framework. It established POTRAZ as the Data Protection Authority and introduced legal obligations for the collection, storage, and use of personal data. The law marked a significant step toward formalising digital governance and building trust in online systems, particularly as digital services expand. At the same time, its broad scope has raised concerns among civil society and media actors, who argue that some provisions could be used to regulate or restrict online expression. In practice, the Act reflects Zimbabwe’s broader approach to digital governance, seeking to balance modernisation, security, and control.

Zimbabwe’s infrastructure indicators show a relatively broad digital base. In Q2 2025, POTRAZ reported 12.83 million active internet/data subscriptions, 81.83% internet penetration, 79.87% broadband penetration, and 252 5G base stations. The country is also building out cyber capacity through the planned ZW-CIRT, while its international connectivity relies on regional terrestrial links to undersea systems rather than a domestic submarine landing station; operators such as TelOne say they connect via EASSy, WACS, and SEACOM.

The digital economy is advancing, but unevenly. UNCTAD’s 2025 eTrade Readiness Assessment says Zimbabwe’s e-commerce ecosystem is mostly urban and informal and notes the absence of a dedicated national e-commerce strategy. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe reported 238.27 million electronic transactions in Q4 2025, worth ZiG 736.03 billion, showing that payments infrastructure is ahead of logistics, trust systems, and formal online retail frameworks.

The country’s digital trajectory is therefore mixed: it is becoming more strategic, more regulated, and more data-driven, but also more contested. Freedom House’s 2025 Freedom on the Net report says internet freedom improved, yet access remains constrained by high prices, infrastructure limits, and electricity shortages.

Zimbabwe’s permanent mission to the UN in Geneva:

Zimbabwe’s Permanent Mission to the UN and other international organisations in Geneva represents the country in multilateral diplomacy across the UN system and related bodies based in Geneva. The mission is listed by UN Geneva at Chemin William Barbey 27, 1292 Chambésy, and its official website says it provides information on Zimbabwe–Switzerland relations, trade and investment, consular services, and diaspora engagement. UN Geneva also reports that Ambassador Ever Mlilo presented her credentials as Zimbabwe’s Permanent Representative in April 2025.

Official UNOG website: https://www.ungeneva.org/en/blue-book/missions/member-states/zimbabwe

EMBASSY AND PERMANENT MISSION TO THE UN – GENEVA

Consult Zimbabwe’s digital strategies and regulations

Here you can explore the country’s main digital strategies, laws, and regulations by simply asking the chatbot, which is designed to help you quickly find relevant documents and understand the country’s digital policy landscape.