Zambian young people receive digital entrepreneurship training
The International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA) have agreed to undertake a four-year strategy for developing the country's digital economy.
ZICTA and the ITC collaborated with the Women's Entrepreneurship Access Centre, an entrepreneurial community for women and youth, to train 175 people in Lusaka and Livingstone on the latest digital technologies and tools for freelance work, such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and social media.
The ITC says out of the 175 youth participants, nearly half were women, and to date over 60 of these freelancers have set up profiles on new freelancer platforms.
The training initiative is the most recent chapter in ITC's continuous efforts in Zambia to close the digital connectivity gap and generate new opportunities for the country's small companies.
This includes its Fast Tracking Digital Entrepreneurship in Africa programme, which is funded by the Dutch government and has trained many tech hubs, start-ups, and digital entrepreneurs in digital skills.
“Digital capacity has now more than ever become fundamental and an enabler to meet the new and ever-changing demands of the digital world,” said Bernard Banda, director economic regulation, ZICTA.
According to Banda, with more digital jobs available, businesses must enhance existing services, introduce new ones, and hire individuals with the necessary skills.
“This has also extended to the need for cybersecurity of embedded e-commerce systems or digital services,” he added.