Africa Tech Kin with Danny that Guy: The Avantis Laptop, ZRP Forensic Lab, WhatsApp Ads Go Live
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This week on The Africa Tech Kin, Danny that Guy covers the launch of the Avantis Parote 1030i, marketed as Zimbabwe's first locally assembled laptop. What does "locally assembled" mean? Also, the unconfirmed retail price, after-sales support, export plans, and the company's intention to list on the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange in October 2026.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary Nick Mangwana's call to increase the withholding tax on international digital platforms, including Netflix, Spotify and Instagram, is unpacked alongside the mechanics of Zimbabwe's existing 15 percent Digital Services Withholding Tax, which has been in force since 1 January 2026, and the question of who actually pays it.
The show goes inside the Zimbabwe Republic Police Forensic Science Laboratory in Harare, following the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home Affairs, Security Services and War Veterans Affairs familiarisation tour. The segment walks through the four main units of the lab: biological evidence, criminalistics, toxicology, and document examination, and covers the historical sexual assault kit backlog, the still-pending Forensic DNA Bill, and the ZRP partnership with the Harare Institute of Technology on cyber forensics.
The artificial intelligence conversation brings together the Royal Observatory in Greenwich's warning that instant AI answers risk eroding human curiosity and reasoning, and POTRAZ's vow at the 2026 International Girls in ICT Day commemorations at the National University of Science and Technology in Bulawayo that artificial intelligence will not be allowed to weaken humanity. Comments from POTRAZ Director-General Dr Gift Machengete, delivered by Deputy Director-General Mr Alfred Marisa, are covered alongside Zimbabwe's National AI Strategy 2026-2030.
The episode closes on Meta's global rollout of WhatsApp ads, tracking the timeline from the 2018 attempt, through the June 2025 announcement, to the February 2026 global launch. Status Ads, Promoted Channels, and Channel Subscriptions are explained, with analysis of what the change means for Zimbabwean small and medium enterprises and how the Digital Services Withholding Tax applies to ad spend on Meta platforms.
Hosted by Danny that Guy on ZiFM Stereo.
Connect with the show:
WhatsApp: 0772 168 045
Hashtag: #AfricaTechKin
Subscribe to the ZiFM Stereo Current Affairs podcast for weekly episodes.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary Nick Mangwana's call to increase the withholding tax on international digital platforms, including Netflix, Spotify and Instagram, is unpacked alongside the mechanics of Zimbabwe's existing 15 percent Digital Services Withholding Tax, which has been in force since 1 January 2026, and the question of who actually pays it.
The show goes inside the Zimbabwe Republic Police Forensic Science Laboratory in Harare, following the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home Affairs, Security Services and War Veterans Affairs familiarisation tour. The segment walks through the four main units of the lab: biological evidence, criminalistics, toxicology, and document examination, and covers the historical sexual assault kit backlog, the still-pending Forensic DNA Bill, and the ZRP partnership with the Harare Institute of Technology on cyber forensics.
The artificial intelligence conversation brings together the Royal Observatory in Greenwich's warning that instant AI answers risk eroding human curiosity and reasoning, and POTRAZ's vow at the 2026 International Girls in ICT Day commemorations at the National University of Science and Technology in Bulawayo that artificial intelligence will not be allowed to weaken humanity. Comments from POTRAZ Director-General Dr Gift Machengete, delivered by Deputy Director-General Mr Alfred Marisa, are covered alongside Zimbabwe's National AI Strategy 2026-2030.
The episode closes on Meta's global rollout of WhatsApp ads, tracking the timeline from the 2018 attempt, through the June 2025 announcement, to the February 2026 global launch. Status Ads, Promoted Channels, and Channel Subscriptions are explained, with analysis of what the change means for Zimbabwean small and medium enterprises and how the Digital Services Withholding Tax applies to ad spend on Meta platforms.
Hosted by Danny that Guy on ZiFM Stereo.
Connect with the show:
WhatsApp: 0772 168 045
Hashtag: #AfricaTechKin
Subscribe to the ZiFM Stereo Current Affairs podcast for weekly episodes.
