Hon Hemed Suleiman Abdullah (third night), the Second Vice President of the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, together with Prof Mohammed Hafidh Khalfan (second night) the Charman of the ZRCP Board and Hon. Juma Makungu Juma (second left) the Deputy Minister of State, President’s Office-Finance and Planning-Zanzibar, during the 4th ZRCP Joint Annual High Level Conference 2025.
Zanzibar charts new course to turn economic growth into human capital dividend
Two months after the pivotal 4th Joint Annual High-Level Conference, stakeholders are enthusiastically awaiting a strategic roadmap to translate the island’s impressive economic growth into widespread prosperity, with targeted interventions designed to tackle critical human-capital deficits in line with the various reports presented at the conference.
The conference, held on August 27th at Hotel Verde, Mtoni Zanzibar, zeroed in on the urgent need to address the high youth unemployment rate, recorded at 33.6%, and the prevailing skills gap, both cited by the World Bank as major impediments to sustained development.
The Zanzibar Research Center for Socio-economics and Policy Analysis (ZRCP), which convened the meeting, successfully brought together a formidable coalition.
This included key entities like the President’s Office Constitution, Legal Affairs, Civil Services and Good Governance, and the Presidential Delivery Bureau, alongside the private sector, development partners such as the Embassy of Switzerland, the Embassy of the Netherlands, UNCDF, UNDP, and GIZ, as well as leading academic institutions and youth organizations.
The conference, titled “Investing in Human Capital for Workforce Competitiveness and Innovation,” underscored that while Zanzibar has averaged a strong 6% annual economic growth over the past decade, this success must be anchored by a prepared populace.
This alignment is crucial for achieving the targets set out in the Zanzibar Development Vision 2050 and the Zanzibar Development Plan 2021–2026, which prioritize human capital development and digital transformation.
A Mandate for Innovation
Setting the tone for the high-level dialogue, Prof Mohammed Hafidh, Board Chairman of the ZRCP, reminded attendees that Zanzibar’s youth-dominated demographic presents both a profound opportunity and a significant risk.
He declared that “Growth without skills is growth without a future,” urging a collective focus on how technology, innovation, and collaboration can prepare the young generation to be the engine of productivity in the decades ahead.
This sentiment was immediately reinforced by a documentary introducing the Nyota Tech Hub, an initiative established by the ZRCP in 2025.
The film showcased young innovators developing practical solutions for sectors like e-commerce, digital finance, and sustainable tourism, capturing the conference’s spirit of boldness and future readiness.
The Principal Secretary of the President’s Office Constitution, Legal Affairs, Civil Services and Good Governance further elaborated on the government’s vision, emphasizing three critical areas of reform: the crucial role of tech hubs, the necessary modernization of public services, and the establishment of a dynamic social registry to efficiently support poor households.
The Guest of Honor, Honorable Hemed Suleiman Abdulla, the Second Vice President, spoke with conviction, asserting that digital transformation is not merely an option but a necessity for ensuring that public services are delivered with quality, timeliness, and cost efficiency.
His address served as a powerful invitation to all stakeholders to join forces in accelerating human capital development, a move he deemed vital for Zanzibar to remain competitive in a rapidly changing world.
From left-right: Dr. Charles Sokile, Rhoda Bennet, Hannan Rashid and Prof. Hemed Hikmany engage in a high-level panel discussion on ‘Navigating the Future: Zanzibar Public Service Competency Framework in the Era of Emerging Technologies – Challenges and Opportunities’.
Two Launches to Foster Digital Transformation
A major highlight of the conference was the unveiling of two groundbreaking initiatives designed to modernize governance and ensure inclusive growth.
The first was the Blueprint for Developing a Dynamic Social Registry for Identifying Poor Households in Zanzibar (ZDSR). This registry is intended to provide real-time data on vulnerable households, marking a crucial shift away from static systems.
The ZDSR will continuously track socioeconomic changes, preventing duplication and ensuring that social assistance is accurate, efficient, and inclusive, ultimately ensuring aid reaches those who need it most.
The second key launch was the Inclusive Digital Economy Scorecard (IDES), a collaboration between the UNCDF and the OCGS.
The IDES provides a clear baseline and measurement tool for Zanzibar’s digital transformation progress, assessing policy environment, infrastructure, innovation, and digital skills, which will be instrumental in monitoring the creation of an inclusive digital economy.
From left-right: Dr. Muhsin Salim, Sanjay Raja, Khadija Shariff, Dr. Ameir Haji and Joseph Rubambe engage in a high-level panel discussion on ‘How Can Innovation Modemize the Public Service Delivery and Create Inclusive Digital Economy’ during 4th ZRCP Joint Annual High Level Conference 2025.
Blueprint for an Innovative Workforce
The ensuing plenary discussions focused on the practical implementation of these goals. Participants explored how Tech Hubs can be scaled up to function not merely as buildings, but as genuine living ecosystems where ideas are nurtured, talent is developed, and businesses are launched.
The consensus was clear: strong, supported tech hubs are non-negotiable for Zanzibar’s global ambition.
Discussions on modernizing the public sector emphasized that as technology evolves, so too must the skills of government workers. This involved not only training them in new digital tools but creating a supportive framework that encourages continuous learning, innovation, and adaptability to improve services.
Furthermore, operationalizing the ZDSR was deemed a transformational step for social protection, with integrated data poised to eliminate duplication and enhance transparency in aid delivery.
The key insights generated from the deliberations now form the basis of a unified policy submission to the government.
These insights emphasize that investment in youth must be holistic, integrating digital skills, entrepreneurship, and innovation into all programs.
Digital transformation must deliberately include marginalized groups—specifically women, rural populations, and persons with disabilities—to ensure equitable participation.
Consequently, the government is being urged to develop and implement the unified social registry with a unique digital identifier for all citizens, strengthen legal frameworks to protect data privacy, and enhance digital infrastructure to allow for seamless e-governance.
Above all, a strengthened model of public–private partnerships is viewed as the only viable pathway to finance and sustain the innovation ecosystems necessary for growth.
In his closing statement, Dr. Twahir Khalfan, Executive Director of ZRCP, stressed that the gathering was about moving beyond mere dialogue and leveraging evidence to place Zanzibar on the right trajectory for sustainable development.
He reaffirmed that the comprehensive insights and recommendations will now be submitted to the government to inform immediate policy action and accelerate the implementation of building a skilled, competitive, and innovative workforce, which he deemed the absolute foundation of Zanzibar’s future.
Accounting, Finance & Economics
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