Techzim

Zimbabwe and regional technology news and updates


First local drone academy licenced to train on Beyond Visual Line of Sight and Aeroplane type drones

The drone industry is growing as we saw from the 2022 Zimbabwe International Drone Conference. However, up until now, there were certain skills that drone pilots could not learn within Zimbabwe’s borders. The first is B-VLOS, beyond visual line of sight training. See, drone pilots have to keep their aircraft in sight and that is […]


Drones that can capture faces 4km away, map out 1000 hectares in hours and more showcased at Drone Conference demo day

The 2022 Zimbabwe International Drone Conference concluded with a live demo day. We got to see a number of drones in action, each just as impressive as the next.  Many still view drones as toys for the rich but when you see the DJI Agras in action, carrying 30 litres of pesticide and fumigating a […]


DroneLogbook simplifies drone operations and Kenyans present exciting drone applications

You saw what the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) had to say at the 2022 Zimbabwe International Drone Conference. After they relinquished the microphone we got to hear from some of the people that they regulate and also from visitors from beyond our borders. DroneLogbook Sam Twala of NTSU Aviation from South Africa presented […]


Aviation regulator presents at Drone Conference, reveals many drone pilots licenced and more

Day 1 of the 2022 Zimbabwe International Drone Conference was a banger. The event kicked off with an address by Tawanda Chihambakwe of Precision Aerial Group, the organisers of the conference.  After his opening remarks we went straight to the keynote speaker – the Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe, Dr Engineer […]


The 2nd edition of the drone conference in Zimbabwe is upon us

Last year, Zimbabwe had its first Drone and UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) conference where local and international experts met to discuss the latest trends in drone technology & innovation. The event was a success and so we get to do it all again. The 2nd edition of the Zimbabwe International Drone Conference is scheduled for […]


Move aside multiple rates & economic downturn. Zim is going to space next month

The economy is in a tailspin, there are three or more exchange rates out there and civil servants are severely underpaid but we are going to space next month everyone! Yeah… I know, for most of you this really isn’t news because this whole Zim space adventure thing is something that has been rumbling for […]


ZESA is now certified to fix faults with drones. It’s not a silver bullet, more of an efficiency thing

The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) is now legally able to incorporate drones in its infrastructure management. This announcement was made at an event the national power company held to mark its acquisition of a Remotely Piloted Aircraft Operator’s Certificate (ROC). What is an ROC and why does ZESA need it to fly drones? An […]


Local drone training startup now certified by Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe

Precision Aerial is a company that we have spoken about here a bunch of times. If you aren’t familiar with the name then I am pretty sure that you have at least heard of the company’s founder Tawanda Chihambakwe aka Zimbabwe’s Drone Expert. In an excellent turn of events, the company has now been certified […]


Local insurance firm now has policies & coverage for drones

Last week’s drone conference was an eye-opener in many respects. The one thing I was not expecting to hear at the conference was that you need to have third party insurance for drones just like for your car. At first, I thought this is something that the drone sellers came up with to squeeze some […]


4 takeaways from Zim’s first-ever drone conference

Last week Precision Aerial, Zimbabwe Flying Labs and the Drones for Good Network held Zim’s first-ever drone conference. The event was well attended and represented by a number of local, regional and international startups and organisations. For someone like me who had only dipped his toes into unmanned aerial systems, Drone Con Zimbabwe was overwhelming. […]


Day 1 of Zimbabwe’s first-ever drone conference

Today was Day 1 of Zimbabwe’s first-ever drone conference which was hosted by Precision Aerial, Zimbabwe Flying Labs and the Drones for Good Network. Speakers from across the African drone space were in attendance as well as government departments, officials and enthusiasts. It was a jam-packed program that featured, drone licencing, regulation in Zimbabwe as […]


Here are the speakers for Zim’s first drone conference

Zimbabwe Drone Conference announces a power-packed list of local and international speakers who will be presenting at the in-person conference this November. Speakers include Dr Patrick Meier – Co-Founder of WEROBOTICS, global experts in Drone Technology for Social and Humanitarian Action; Kim James – Director of Drone Guards, Africa’s leading Drones in Security Service provider and our own local […]


Drones for Good network to host 1st ever drone conference in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s first-ever conference on drone technology is scheduled for the 10-11th of November 2021 at the Celebration Centre in Harare. Organised by the Drones For Good Network in conjunction with leading local drone industry players, the Drone & UAV Conference is set to bring together experts from the local & international drone community to discuss […]


Drone Professional 1 book giveaway (Zimbabwe only)

The Story Untold ZW has partnered with Tawanda Chihambakwe (The African Drone Professional) to giveaway 3 copies of the best-selling book Drone Professional 1. Read on to get an understanding of: What the book is about; Tawanda’s Contribution in the book &; How to win one of the copies. About the book? Drone Professional 1 […]


What I learned from the African Drone Professional, Tawanda Chihambakwe

I recently had a fantastic conversation with Tawanda Chihambakwe. Tawanda is the cofounder of Precision Aerial (a local drone services and consultancy startup) and Director of Zimbabwe Flying Labs. We talked about how Tawanda discovered the opportunities of drones, the challenges of entrepreneurship and which career options are available for people interested in entering the […]


Zim Flying Labs is bringing drones into the classroom to enhance STEM education

Zim Flying Labs is a name that will be familiar to Techzim regulars. The organisation came to Zimbabwe through a franchise of sorts held by Precision Aerial, a drone and robotics startup that is headed by Tawanda Chihambakwe who is a licenced drone pilot, instructor and the best selling co-author of Drone Pilot 1 and […]


NASA flies helicopter on Mars, a first for mankind

One giant leap for mankind.


3281 drones in the sky at once? What?!

Just when you think you’ve seen it all.


No More Carelessness: New Regulations Now Require You To Have Third-Party Insurance To Fly Your Drone

If good fences make good neighbours, insurance does too for drone operators.  Every drone operator knows that flights don’t always go as planned, and when your drone breaks a window or lands on Chiyangwa’s new Mercedes, you may need to make amends. That’s why the new Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) drone regulations now require […]