Zimbabwean businesses are increasingly dependent on technology. From communication and accounting to customer management, payments, inventory and marketing, technology has become part of everyday business operations.

Yet walk into many small and medium-sized businesses in Zimbabwe and ask who is responsible for managing their technology, and you might get an interesting answer: nobody in particular.

There might be someone who knows how to fix a computer, an external technician called when the internet stops working, or an employee who happens to be good with Excel. But a dedicated IT professional, a technology manager, or someone responsible for ensuring that the business's technology infrastructure is reliable, secure and aligned with its objectives? Not necessarily.

This raises an important question: why do so many Zimbabwean businesses depend on technology but fail to invest in the people responsible for managing it?

The answer lies in a combination of economic realities, limited digital maturity, misconceptions about IT and, perhaps most importantly, how businesses perceive the value of technology.

1. IT is viewed as an expense rather than an investment

One of the biggest challenges is how business owners perceive IT expenditure.

Consider a business owner with a limited monthly operating budget. They have to decide between employing another salesperson, purchasing additional inventory, hiring an administrator or bringing an IT professional onto the payroll.

The salesperson has a seemingly obvious responsibility: generate revenue. The administrator handles paperwork and daily operations. The IT professional, on the other hand, might be perceived as someone who occasionally fixes computers, installs software or resolves internet connectivity issues.

From that perspective, employing an IT professional can appear unnecessary.

However, this reasoning overlooks something fundamental: technology affects the productivity and performance of almost every other function within an organisation.

A poorly managed network can disrupt operations. Inadequate data management can compromise decision-making. Inefficient processes can increase administrative costs. A cybersecurity incident can expose sensitive business information and potentially cause significant financial damage.

The cost of employing IT personnel is visible. The cost of operating without proper IT management is often less obvious. And that is precisely where businesses get it wrong.

2. The research suggests a significant digital adoption gap

This is not merely an observation about Zimbabwean business culture. Published research provides compelling evidence.

In October 2023, the International Trade Centre (ITC), in collaboration with Zimbabwe's National Competitiveness Commission, published Promoting SME Competitiveness in Zimbabwe: Drive Growth Through Business Networks and Technology.[1]

The report was based on a survey of 557 Zimbabwean businesses conducted between December 2022 and May 2023, across all ten provinces.

Some of its findings are particularly interesting:

Approximately 85% of surveyed businesses had no dedicated business website.
Only 12% of SMEs surveyed had a business website, compared with approximately 91% of large businesses.
74% of surveyed firms considered internet services expensive.
70% of SMEs used social media for advertising.
Only one in ten surveyed businesses said their employees had all the digital skills required to meet the company's technology needs.

These findings reveal an interesting contradiction. Zimbabwean businesses are embracing certain digital platforms, particularly social media, but this does not necessarily translate into broader digital capability.

The report also found that businesses using digital technologies were better positioned to access supplier information and that online advertising was associated with better customer acquisition and sales outcomes.

In other words, digital adoption is not simply a question of having an online presence. It can influence how effectively a business competes.

The findings also raise a question about whether businesses are investing sufficiently in the people and expertise needed to maximise the value of these technologies.

3. Digital adoption is not the same as digital transformation

There is an important distinction between using technology and integrating technology into business operations.

Many Zimbabwean businesses have adopted basic digital tools. They communicate through WhatsApp, advertise on Facebook, maintain records in Excel and use computers for administrative work.

These are useful developments, but they do not necessarily indicate that a business has embraced digital transformation.

Consider two companies operating in the same industry.

The first manages its inventory using spreadsheets, receives orders through WhatsApp, manually generates invoices and relies on employees to compile monthly reports.

The second uses an integrated business management system. Inventory updates automatically as sales are processed, invoices are generated systematically, customer information is centralised and management can access operational reports when needed.

Both businesses use technology. However, one is using technology to perform existing tasks, while the other is using technology to improve how the entire business operates.

Digital transformation is not simply about purchasing computers, subscribing to software or creating social media accounts. It involves rethinking business processes, improving information management and using technology to achieve measurable organisational objectives.

A World Bank publication on Zimbabwe's digital economy similarly identifies digital infrastructure, digital government, digital financial services, digital skills and digital entrepreneurship as interconnected foundations for digital transformation.[2]

The challenge is therefore much bigger than getting businesses online.

4. Businesses don't understand what IT professionals actually do

Perhaps one of the most damaging misconceptions is that IT professionals exist primarily to troubleshoot technical problems.

While technical support is an important part of IT, the profession extends considerably further.

An IT professional can contribute to:

Business process automation: eliminating repetitive administrative tasks and reducing human error.
Information management: organising business data to make it accessible, reliable and useful.
Cybersecurity: protecting company systems, customer information and digital assets.
Infrastructure management: ensuring reliable networks, connectivity, hardware and software.
Business intelligence: helping management understand performance through meaningful data and reporting.
Software development: building solutions around specific organisational requirements.
Systems integration: connecting different business applications to eliminate information silos.

These are not merely technical activities. They have direct implications for productivity, profitability, risk management and competitiveness.

A competent IT professional should not only be able to tell you why your computer isn't working. They should also be able to identify opportunities to make your business work better.

5. The economics of running a business in Zimbabwe

It would be unfair to discuss this subject without acknowledging the environment in which Zimbabwean businesses operate.

Many SMEs face considerable financial constraints. Currency instability, limited access to affordable financing, electricity challenges, connectivity costs and unpredictable operating expenses make long-term planning difficult.

The ITC's 2023 research also highlights the extent of these challenges. Its survey found that 76% of participating firms reported low or medium access to finance, while a third identified lack of finance as their biggest obstacle to production efficiency.[1]

For a business struggling to maintain consistent cash flow, investing in technology infrastructure or employing specialist personnel may not appear to be an immediate priority.

However, there is a difference between not needing a full-time employee and not needing professional IT management.

Outsourced IT services, managed service arrangements and technology consulting provide alternatives that allow smaller businesses to access professional expertise without carrying the cost of permanent employment.

The challenge is making business owners aware that these options exist.

6. The reluctance to adopt business technology is not just anecdotal

There is further academic evidence supporting the argument that technology adoption among Zimbabwean SMEs remains constrained.

A 2024 study by Banele Dlamini and Danie P. Schutte, published in the International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, investigated cloud accounting adoption among Zimbabwean SMEs.

The researchers collected 132 questionnaires and found very low adoption of cloud accounting.

Among the major barriers identified were:

Lack of awareness of cloud accounting.
Concerns about data security.
Cost implications.
Insufficient employee training.
Technical difficulties and integration challenges.

This is particularly interesting because accounting is one of the most fundamental functions of any business.

If businesses are reluctant to adopt technology even in an area as central as financial management, it raises broader questions about their readiness to embrace more sophisticated business systems.

It also reinforces an important point: technology adoption is not exclusively a financial issue. Awareness, organisational readiness, management support and technical expertise all matter.

7. The hidden cost of doing things manually

One of the most interesting things about business inefficiency is that it can become normalised.

Employees spend hours transferring information between spreadsheets. Managers wait for reports that take days to compile. Customer records are scattered across different devices. Inventory discrepancies are resolved through manual investigations.

Because these processes have existed for years, businesses sometimes stop questioning them.

Consider a simple example.

Suppose a company has five employees who each spend 30 minutes every working day performing administrative tasks that could be automated.

That represents 2.5 employee-hours every day, or approximately 55 hours over a 22-working-day month.

That is more than an entire working week of combined employee time.

Now imagine the same inefficiencies across multiple departments.

The business might not see an obvious technology expense, but it is continuously paying for inefficiency through employee time, operational delays and avoidable mistakes.

Automation is not necessarily about replacing employees. Often, it is about allowing employees to concentrate on work that actually requires their attention.

8. Cybersecurity is another risk businesses underestimate

Cybersecurity is frequently treated as something relevant only to banks, telecommunications companies and large corporations.

That assumption is increasingly dangerous.

Small businesses also hold valuable information: customer contacts, financial records, supplier details, employee information, business correspondence and operational documents.

A compromised email account, ransomware infection or accidental data loss can disrupt a small business just as seriously as it can affect a larger organisation.

Yet many businesses operate without proper backup strategies, endpoint protection, access controls or basic security policies.

Cybersecurity should not be viewed as an optional technical upgrade. It is part of responsible business management.

The question is not whether a business is large enough to become a target. The question is whether it can recover when something goes wrong.

9. Do all businesses need full-time IT personnel?

Absolutely not.

This is an important distinction.

A small retail shop does not necessarily need a full-time software developer or IT administrator. A medium-sized company might require ongoing technical support but not an entire IT department.

The objective should not be to employ IT personnel simply for the sake of having them.

It should be to ensure that technology has proper ownership, professional oversight and a clear relationship with business objectives.

Depending on the organisation, this could mean:

Employing an internal IT officer.
Outsourcing IT support and infrastructure management.
Engaging a technology consultant.
Subscribing to managed IT services.
Working with a software development partner.
Combining internal and external technical expertise.

What matters is that technology does not become an unmanaged collection of devices, applications and disconnected processes.

Someone must be responsible for ensuring that these resources work together effectively.

The bigger opportunity for Zimbabwean businesses

I believe Zimbabwe has considerable room for growth in business technology adoption.

There are opportunities to improve how organisations manage information, automate operations, secure their systems and make decisions.

However, real progress will require a change in mindset.

Business owners need to stop viewing IT exclusively as a department that fixes things when they break. Technology should be considered during strategic planning, budgeting, operational improvements and business expansion.

Equally, IT professionals must become better at communicating business value.

It is not enough to tell a business owner that they need a better server, a new website or an upgraded software system. They need to understand what that investment will accomplish.

Will it reduce operating costs? Improve customer experience? Increase productivity? Reduce risk? Generate revenue? Improve management visibility?

These are the conversations that matter.

Technology professionals must learn to speak the language of business, and business owners must become more receptive to the opportunities technology presents.

Final thoughts: Technology should be part of business strategy

A business does not need to be a technology company to require good technology management.

Whether it is a school, supermarket, manufacturing company, logistics business, NGO or professional services firm, technology increasingly influences how effectively that organisation operates.

The businesses that recognise this relationship will be better positioned to improve efficiency, protect their assets and compete in an increasingly digital economy.

Perhaps the question Zimbabwean business owners should be asking is not whether they can afford to employ IT personnel.

It is whether they can afford to continue operating without proper technology management.

If your business depends on technology every day, why is the management of that technology nobody's actual responsibility?

About Antfarm Tech Solutions

At Antfarm Tech Solutions, we believe technology should solve real business problems.

We work with organisations to develop software, improve digital operations, strengthen technology infrastructure and identify opportunities for automation.

Our approach goes beyond providing technical services. We focus on understanding business challenges and developing practical technology solutions that create measurable value.

Antfarm Tech Solutions — Web. Software. AI. IT.

https://antfarm.co.zw

References and further reading

The following publications provide the research foundation for this article.

[1] International Trade Centre (2023). Promoting SME Competitiveness in Zimbabwe: Drive Growth Through Business Networks and Technology. Publisher: International Trade Centre (ITC), in collaboration with Zimbabwe's National Competitiveness Commission. Published: October 2023. Research sample: 557 Zimbabwean businesses surveyed between December 2022 and May 2023.

[2] World Bank (2021). Digital Transformation: A Key Enabler of Long-Term Resilient Growth in Zimbabwe. Publisher: World Bank. Published: 27 May 2021. Subject: Zimbabwe's digital economy, infrastructure, digital skills, digital financial services and digital entrepreneurship.

[3] Dlamini, B. & Schutte, D. P. (2024). An Evaluation of the Adoption of Cloud Accounting by SMEs in Zimbabwe. International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Volume 15, Issue 1, pages 288–294. DOI: 10.32479/ijefi.17076. Research sample: 132 SME questionnaires.

Zimbabwean Businesses Use Technology Every Day. So Why Don't They Invest in IT?