Government has tasked Hobbiton Investments Limited to spearhead the formation of the Ministerial Technology Advisory Panel (MTAP), which is expected to improve public service delivery through the adoption of modern digital infrastructure in support of the Grow Zambia Agenda.…

Government has tasked Hobbiton Investments Limited to spearhead the formation of the Ministerial Technology Advisory Panel (MTAP), which is expected to improve public service delivery through the adoption of modern digital infrastructure in support of the Grow Zambia Agenda.

Minister of Technology and Science, Felix Mutati said the initiative would bring together stakeholders from both the public and private sectors to share ideas and develop solutions aimed at accelerating the country’s digital transformation.

Speaking during the Hobbiton Technologies breakfast networking meeting, Mr Mutati said driving digital transformation required a collaborative, unified approach between Government and private sector players.

He said under the new legislative framework, the Government was prioritising smart solutions to improve service delivery, eliminate guesswork and ensure that developmental benefits were guided by reliable data and informed decision-making.

“We love our city as a Government and we must have one unified approach towards it. Through technology-focused policies, we are addressing how best to improve the efficiency of Government service delivery, ranging from home data to social support systems.

“To move the five [I’s], namely identity, interoperability, intelligence, infrastructure and inclusivity, there is need for collaboration because Government is not a monopoly of wisdom,” Mr Mutati said.

He said the Government’s responsibility was to formulate progressive policies and legislative frameworks that would create an enabling environment for private sector participation and investment in technology.

“Our role as Government is to create an enabling environment through sound policies and legislation. This empowers tech companies and telecoms to invest, expand their networks, and support the broader national agenda of building a resilient, double-digit economy,” Mr Mutati said.

At the same event, Hobbiton Investment Management Limited chief executive officer Mimi Lungu said a nation could not achieve sustained economic transformation while the majority of its citizens remained excluded from the formal financial ecosystem.

Ms Lungu said sustainable national growth required capital, adding that capital formation began at grassroots level through disciplined savings and deliberate investment.

She said it was for this reason that Patumba, managed by Hobbiton Investment Management Limited, was established to bridge the financial inclusion gap by providing ordinary citizens with an opportunity to save and invest.

Ms Lungu said the platform operated on the philosophy that individuals did not need to be wealthy to begin building long-term financial security, with the entry threshold set at just K1.

“The platform’s growth trajectory underscores a growing savings culture nationwide. Patumba has officially crossed the K 500 million mark in Assets Under Management (AUM), driven by over 2.5 million registered Zambian accounts since its inception,” Ms Lungu said.

Looking ahead, she said the firm had set an ambitious target of doubling its portfolio to K1 billion in Assets Under Management by 2027, reflecting its confidence in the growing demand for savings and investment opportunities among Zambians.

Meanwhile, Hobbiton Investment Management Limited Board Chairperson, Elias Chipimo called for an urgent paradigm shift from digital mediocrity to national excellence if the country was to fully harness technology as a driver of national development.

Mr Chipimo said although Zambia had been an early adopter of technology, implementation challenges and regulatory hurdles had stalled progress, leaving the country struggling to translate technological breakthroughs into sustained economic momentum.

He said there was need for renewed commitment towards effective implementation of digital solutions to ensure that technology contributed meaningfully to national productivity, economic growth and improved public service delivery.

And Hobbiton Technology Chief Executive Officer, Mwangala Mwiya revealed that the number of people on the Patumba platform had reached 1.6 million, highlighting the growing uptake of digital savings and investment services.