Midlands State University (MSU) students demonstrated their innovation capabilities by securing first and second place in the Development Domain at the AI for Impact (AI4I) Challenge Competition, held in Nyanga from 25 to 31 July 2026, hosted by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ).
The competition attracted 738 applications from innovators across Zimbabwe, with 60 participants shortlisted to present their solutions and 14 projects receiving awards across the various competition domains, including two innovations developed by MSU students.
MSU Level 4.2 Computer Systems Engineering student Nigel Basarokwe, representing his teammates Tadiwa Njimaima and Thabelo Dumani, secured first place with their innovation, Inzwi, receiving a total prize package valued at US$21,000, comprising US$15,000 worth of AI tokens and a US$6,000 cash prize.
Originally developed as Basarokwe’s final-year research project, Inzwi addresses the shortage of high-quality speech datasets for Zimbabwe’s indigenous languages, a challenge that continues to hinder the development of artificial intelligence technologies.
The platform uses a web application and WhatsApp chatbot to collect voice recordings from native speakers, creating AI-ready datasets that support the development of speech recognition systems and other language technologies for languages such as Shona and Ndebele.
Takudzwaishe Mahachi, a Level 4.2 student and Resident Innovator at the MSU Innovation Hub, secured second place at the AI4I Challenge with Zim Guide Data Core, earning a US$12,000 prize for the platform designed to help organisations curate, organise and prepare datasets for artificial intelligence applications.
Zim Guide Data Core improves access to structured and usable data, supporting research, innovation and evidence-based decision-making and enabling organisations to maximise the value of their data assets.
MSU Business Development Manager Mr. Daniel Cholele participated in the competition as a domain expert and adjudicator, encouraging innovators to develop solutions that address genuine societal and market needs.
The achievements of Basarokwe, Njimaima, Dumani and Mahachi reflect MSU’s growing innovation ecosystem and commitment to developing holistic graduates who use technology, entrepreneurship and research skills to create solutions that address real-world challenges and contribute to Zimbabwe’s digital transformation.
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