OmniContact, Econet Wireless Zimbabwe’s business process outsourcing (BPO) arm, has teamed up with UN Women Zimbabwe to launch Project Ignite, a drive to empower women and youth for the digital economy.
Announced in Harare on Tuesday, the public-private partnership aims to equip thousands of Zimbabweans — especially rural women, young mothers, and people with disabilities — with digital skills, entrepreneurship tools and job opportunities.
“Project Ignite is more than an initiative – it is a movement to ensure that women and youth have a real stake in Zimbabwe’s economic future,” said Fatou Lo, UN Women’s Country Representative in Zimbabwe.
“We are proud to collaborate with the private sector in delivering practical, scalable solutions to digital inequality,” she added.
OmniContact, a fast-growing player in Zimbabwe’s BPO sector, is providing the infrastructure, training platforms and employment linkages for the rollout.
“We believe the future of work in Zimbabwe must be inclusive. By investing in women and youth, we are not only tackling inequality – we are strengthening our national workforce and economic competitiveness,” said Otis Makahamadze, OmniContact COO.
The programme responds to years of economic shocks that have disproportionately affected women’s livelihoods, from COVID-19 to climate impacts. At the same time, funding for gender equality remains low, and the gender digital divide persists.
Project Ignite will be rolled out through four models: a Digital Leader Model to build digital literacy and access; an Impact Sourcing Model for digital jobs; a Business Accelerator Model to grow women-led enterprises; and a Women’s Empowerment Principles Framework to rally government and private sector support.
