Cybersecurity is one of the fastest-growing fields in tech, but the path into it has often been locked behind expensive courses and complicated prerequisites. There appears to be an opportunity to bypass all that.
A national cybersecurity training programme has just launched in Zimbabwe, and it’s completely free. Backed by the Ministry of ICT and run by a company called Cyberus, the programme aims to train 10,000 Zimbabweans in ethical hacking, cyber defence, and penetration testing.
The programme will be officially launched on Wednesday, 6 August 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Harare – Meikles Hotel.
The Minister of ICT, Dr. Tatenda Mavetera, will officiate, alongside her deputy and the Permanent Secretary. The Russian Ambassador is also expected to attend.
Cyberus will give a keynote address and demonstrate the training simulator. If you’re on the fence about signing up, this might be your chance to see what it’s all about.
Registration opens at 9:30AM and proceedings wrap up by 12 noon.
If all this sounds too good to be true, you’re not alone, our first question was: What’s the catch?
Who is it for?
The training is open to anyone with interest in cybersecurity, from beginners who are just curious to working IT professionals.
Of course, having some tech background helps. Cyberus says you’ll get the most out of the programme if you’re comfortable reading technical documentation in English, and have some familiarity with networking and using the Linux or Windows terminal. It also helps if you’ve dabbled in tools like VirtualBox or Docker.
That said, the programme starts with the basics, so you can build up from zero if you’re willing to learn.
What will you learn?
The course runs in four stages, totalling about 13 months:
- Stage 1 (2 months): The foundations
- Stage 2 (4 months): Intermediate level cybersecurity
- Stage 3 (1 month): Advanced topics
- Stage 4 (6 months): Specialised training toward becoming a “Cybersecurity Leader”
At the end of each stage, participants receive certificates confirming their skills, including one from CyberED, which focuses on practical offensive cybersecurity training and a formal ethical hacker code of conduct.
Who’s behind this?
Cyberus, a company with deep ties to the Russian cybersecurity industry, is running the training. The instructors are working professionals in the field, and you can find their profiles and credentials on zimcyber.com.
Interestingly, the top 100 learners in the programme will intern in Russia for a year. At least that’s the promise. This would be a rare opportunity for Zimbos looking to break into the global cybersecurity space.
Why is it free?
This is the part that will raise eyebrows. Cyberus is footing the bill as part of a massive investment in Zimbabwe.
They plan to set up a CyberDom hub in the country, a $100 million project that will include:
- Infrastructure for training and cyber drills
- A cybersecurity startup incubator
- Co-working spaces
- Exhibition areas
- A venue for local and international cyber events
The Zimbabwe CyberDom will be modelled on the Russian original, which launched at the end of 2023 and they say it has already hosted over 150,000 visitors and supported over 300 industrial projects.
The plan is to make Zimbabwe a regional cybersecurity hub for SADC, and Cyberus says they will employ up to 5,000 people locally.
This isn’t just a training program, it’s the foundation for something much bigger.
Final thoughts
It’s not every day that someone offers free, hands-on training in a field as in-demand as cybersecurity, let alone backs it up with a $100 million investment.
Naturally, there will be scepticism because Zimbos have heard of multi-million dollar projects before, some of which never quite got off the ground, even with government involvement. The $100 million price tag attached to this CyberDom plan is certainly ambitious.
Who is Cyberus?
Cyberus, the organisation that would be funding all this, is a Russia‑based cybersecurity foundation co‑founded in 2022 by billionaire tech entrepreneur Yury Maksimov, with declared assets of up to $300 million and ambitions to scale globally.
Recent moves, such as acquiring F.A.C.C.T assets and hiring senior ex‑Ozon leadership, mean there might be real capacity. But since Cyberus has not yet delivered a comparable overseas infrastructure project, the $100 million CyberDom in Zimbabwe remains an aspiration.
The original Russian CyberDom opened in Moscow in 2023 with an estimated investment of around US$20 million, featuring a 2,500 m² facility built by Cyberus.
Plans for a $100 million Zimbabwe CyberDom would be a major step up. So far, Cyberus has not publicly delivered similar projects outside Russia, aside from a recently announced Qatar initiative.
That makes the Zimbabwe project ambitious but unproven.
The sceptical Zimbo
Zimbabweans may recall past multi‑million‑dollar projects announced with ululations and whistles, but which never came to fruition.
So while the government’s partnership with Russia might be serious, we’d do well to exercise cautious optimism.
That doesn’t mean it won’t happen, especially at a lower scale, since the government has a close working relationship with Russia, and this programme is being launched with the full backing of the Ministry of ICT. There’s a real chance this could be the start of something.
Still, it may be wise to manage expectations. For now, what’s clear is that there is free, structured cybersecurity training being offered, with proper certifications and industry involvement, and that alone could be huge for Zimbabwe’s tech ecosystem.
Whether the bigger CyberDom dream follows remains to be seen, but we’ll be watching closely.
But if what’s being promised here materialises, Zimbabwe could position itself as a genuine regional player in cyber defence and talent development.
We’ll attend the launch and the press conference that follows, and we’ll be digging deeper into what CyberDom is, who Cyberus really are, and what this means for local tech professionals.
For now, applications are open at zimcyber.com.
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