BY NATHAN GUMA recently in New York DURING his time at the City of Bulawayo’s Water Branch, Engineer Melinkosi Dube, a water engineer, was moved by the city’s ongoing water crisis, which disproportionately affected low-income earners in high-density and peri-urban communities. Given the Metropolitan Province’s water woes, low-income earners have been hard hit, with many…
BY NATHAN GUMA AN analysis of generative AI models has shown that most models are still lagging in updating their databases, which experts say may worsen hallucinations, while hindering access to credible information. This comes at a time when more people are becoming increasingly reliant on generative AI for daily tasks. However, experts say the delayed updates worsen hallucinations, which…
BY NATHAN GUMA ZIMBABWE has benefited from the European Union market under the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), with data showing a 30% increase in trade since 2021, reaching US$881 million in 2023. The EPA, signed between the EU and Zimbabwe, is part of a broader framework to promote trade and investment between the two entities,…
Zimbabwe’s press freedom score is dangling precariously in the difficult and problematic zone, new data from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has shown. The country has seen increased restrictions on press freedom over the past few years, which intensified during the Covid-19 era. In 2025, the country scored 52.25/100, falling below the international average of 55 points, a…
THE number of foreigners living in Zimbabwe has been decreasing over the past years compared to other regional neighbours, new data by the United Nations has shown. According to data on the international migrant stock by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the number of migrants in the country has been decreasing…
ZIMBABWE still has a long way to go in promoting good sanitation, against a backdrop of recurring communicable diseases such as cholera, according to data from the World Health Organization. The data reveal that the share of the country’s population with access to well-managed sanitation has remained below 35%, peaking at 33.6% in 2017 before declining to…
1. Mission and Purpose IOW Data is committed to producing accurate, fair, and accessible data-driven journalism. Our work seeks to inform the public, empower communities, and support evidence-based decision-making in Zimbabwe and beyond. 2. Accuracy and Verification We prioritize accuracy in all reporting. Data sources are verified, and methods are disclosed to ensure transparency. All…
BY NATHAN GUMA MEMBERS of Parliament are demanding answers, summoning Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube over the government’s failure to fund a number of the country’s critical social safety programmes, with citizens reeling under the effects of the El Niño-induced drought. The government has had cash transfers, among them the Harmonised Cash Transfer Programme, the Cash…
BY NATHAN GUMA THE government’s use of an algorithm to identify beneficiaries of cash transfer programmes has contributed to millions of people left in need, an investigation can reveal. Since 2020, the country has endured a series of droughts and a pandemic, which has left millions in need of immediate aid. The government has had cash…
BY NATHAN GUMA AN analysis of unstructured data from generative artificial intelligence (AI), has revealed algorithmic bias towards people with disabilities, repeating commonly used stereotypes in everyday scenarios, which experts say is likely to threaten inclusion. Findings from an investigation by IOW Data, which analyzed AI-generated images involving people with disabilities, revealed that generative AI is still lagging behind…
