According to the Zambian government’s own economic assessment, approximately 90 percent of young Zambians were on the economic sidelines in 2023 due to lack of relevant training. The government’s AI strategy aims to reverse this through job creation in digital services, agrotechnology, and telecommunications. The skills gap is not merely an educational problem but a structural economic one. Community-based hubs and innovation centers are proposed as mechanisms to train and reskill workers, drawing inspiration from successes in other African countries such as Guerra Tech Hub in Benin and Yango Fellowship in Côte d’Ivoire.
Published by: Zambian Ministry of Technology and Science (government agency)
Key finding: 90 percent of young Zambian workers lack training in AI and digital skills, representing a critical economic disadvantage.
Context: This statistic underscores the urgency of AI literacy as an economic equity issue, not merely a technical skill. The knowledge divide in Zambia is acute and directly linked to employment and income prospects. Systematic AI and digital skills training is positioned as essential infrastructure for economic participation.