Zambia's ICT sector grew by 40.2% in 2016, accounting for 1.2% of the nation's total GDP in 2016, according to recent figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

In response telecommunications services provider Vodafone Zambia said the ICT sector continues to offer unprecedented opportunities for economic growth and development for Zambia, and these services are an essential part of how the nation's economy works and functions.

Lars Stork, CEO of Vodafone Zambia, said "ICT has become a key priority of the 21st Century. The CSO's findings validate the sector's transformative power as an enabler for economic growth, making it an essential tool for empowering people and triggering positive change in society. As a company that operates in the ICT space, Vodafone Zambia recognises this and is working towards being an integral part of Zambia's growth story through its next generation data services."

CSO Director John Kalumbi the Zambian economy expanded by 4% to US$6.4 billion with ICT being the fastest growing sector at 40.2%.

The country's ICT sector has been impacted by the sale of Zamtel, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) declaring in September 2016 that it was prepared to offer Zambia's government a US$1.2 billion economic lifeline on condition Zamtel was sold.

Other significant technology projects initiated in 2016 include the Huawei Technologies Zambia US$75 million datacentre commercialisation project in collaboration with government and the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA).