The US delegation, which left Zimbabwe on Tuesday night,
was in the country on a three-day visit facilitated by the US Commercial
Service and the Zimbabwean Embassy in Washington DC.
In an exclusive interview with The Herald just before their
departure, CyberAlliance co-founder Mr Larry Yon said they were “surprised” by
the rich opportunities that exist in Zimbabwe especially considering the
negative misconceptions pushed by the West.
He said the three-day visit had shown them that Zimbabwe
was indeed open for business as what they had experienced was far from what
they had expected before touching down.
“I think Zimbabwe is rich with opportunities, to be honest,
it was refreshingly surprising because in the US a lot of people have not been
to Zimbabwe so when you ask people or tell them where you are going, there’s
apprehension or doubt but one of the things that we have felt in the last few
days is being very welcome.
“People say Zimbabwe is open for business and we felt that
and we wanted to also show the same in terms of the US also being open for
business for Zimbabwe, this is because what we saw on the ground is completely
different from what we were expecting.
“We wanted to be able to come to the market but come the
right way, so for us and our business model it’s important that we partner with
local partners on the ground because they understand the nuances on how to
engage here,” he said.
Mr Yon said they were looking to invest in digital
technologies across all sectors of the country’s economy.
“And the reason we say all (sectors) is because so many of
Zimbabwe’s sectors are trying to digitalise and so many of their sectors are
leveraging technology to grow products, food and sell them.
“So all those things are underpinned by technology and
Zimbabwe is a safe environment for them to be able to operate those
businesses,” he said.
The US investors signed an MoU with CEO Africa Roundtable,
a development Mr Yon said had set the tone for continued engagements with
Zimbabwe.
“The MoU that we signed with CEO Africa Roundtable was our
first step in engaging in Zimbabwe. We are in several countries across the
continent and now there is such a renewed interest for the US and Zimbabwe to
be able to develop commercial and cultural ties.
“We are a cyber-security technology company based in the US
but we do have a focus on Africa and that focus primarily is on making sure
that the promise of technology is realised and is inclusive in all sides of the
spectrum of the economy not just the big businesses but also we have the
availability of cyber security technology solutions even for small businesses
as well,” he said.
His counterpart and co-founder Mr Kendrall Felder said they
had been impressed by Zimbabwe’s rich human resources.
“One of the things that we have experienced is how
talent-rich the country is, in terms of the story that’s told internationally
you don’t expect to come and experience such talented individuals. Zimbabwe is
one of the most literate countries across the entire continent, our visit to
Zimbabwe was an absolute success,” he said.
CyberAlliance, said Mr Felder, was also looking to
contribute to Zimbabwe’s development through employment creation.
“This is an opportunity to help create jobs within the
country and not only create jobs but also be able to upskill and reskill the
talent that is here on the ground, to be able to take those cyber security jobs
so that it isn’t outside resources coming in to get those well-paying jobs but
also position that talent to be able to participate in the global cyber
security ecosystem,” he said.
Zimbabwe continues to charm all first-time visitors and
investors who are heeding President Mnangagwa’s “Zimbabwe is open for business”
mantra.
Another delegation of US investors is also currently in the
country for a week-long visit, signalling how Zimbabwe is truly open for
business and is a friend to all and enemy to none as enunciated by President
Mnangagwa.
CyberAlliance is looking to invest in digital technologies
and aid Zimbabwe’s modernisation.
This is in sync with the continued call for the public and
private sectors to adopt new digital technologies to spur the country’s efforts
towards the attainment of Vision 2030. Herald
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