On Friday night last week, we witnessed the launch of a spectacular innovation by our own local IT enthusiasts at a Harare club. Some prominent information communication technology players mainly from the private sector graced the event.

ICT enthusiasts, specialists in web applications, web development and mobile software programmers all converged to meet and share ideas on how best to drive forward our ICT industry.

Those present were provoked to see the opportunities for collaboration and building a healthy ICT start-up ecosystem in Zimbabwe.

The event was amply dubbed "JumpStart".

JumpStart is a community-driven initiative for mobile and web technology entrepreneurs, tech professionals, investors and other individuals and organisations involved in the information technology industry in Zimbabwe.

What was of interest was the vital opportunity presented to our young stars to be part of this great vision. The ICT industry like any other industry in Zimbabwe is not fully capacitated to apprentice every college leavers with the real world hands on experience.

Some group executives were offering passionate students platforms for industrial attachments or hands-on experience to the gifted next generation.

What was deplorable though was the way the organisers chose to market the event.

For reasons best known to them, they totally avoided the popular media to publicise the event. This could have brought in a much broader consultative forum.

Many interested people of the trait quizzed me just how they missed an event of such a magnitude.

Personally, I only got to stumble upon the news on Twitter, needless to say they still managed to pull through a full house for this creative event.

Questions and contributions from newbie and experts were flying across the house with well-informed answers settling the burning curiosity.

Whenever iron sharpens irons, the task becomes lighter. This event almost resembled the popular grey hat Hackers conventions.

It is so disheartening to find our college leavers and young application designers and coders struggle to enter the mainstream industry because there are no formal channels to nurture these youngsters.

We cannot wait on the Government to institute these while the private sector just sits back.

The president of the Computer Suppliers' Association (Comsa), Mr Artwell Mukusha, said such progressive events were applaudable and long overdue. It is common practice for most organisations to seek international consultation for the same service that could be offered by locals.

He said it was high time we open such platforms as they also expose our potential to lucrative markets.

During a tête-à-tête with Mr Mukusha, I was humbled to learn so much on newer opportunities we ought to be embracing being offered by the world of online connectivity.

He explained the need to start planning now for the new technology that has swept over the globe. In this generation, most shoppers in developed countries no longer physically go to the shopping malls for their needs. With Paypal systems and eBay websites, everything can now be accomplished through a click in the comfort of our homes.

Mr Mukusha shed light on how Zimbabweans in the Diaspora managed to make tangible results on such websites like mukuru.com.

These are portals where Zimbabweans abroad could buy their loved ones back home some goodies ad smoothly got them delivered right to their doorstep in Zimbabwe.

This was a lifesaver especially during the 2008 shortages. The future of online transactions and shopping is now here, we need local players to start building up these foundations.

One of the organisers, Mr Kabweza of the popular http://techzim.co.zw, highlighted the need for Zimbabwe to create its own professional and properly constituted ICT startup centres to emulate what other African countries have successfully fostered.

He said tech hubs, labs and business incubators are among active startup communities in Africa. Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, Uganda and Cameroon have instituted these startups to nurture their local talents.

In Kenya, they have successfully developed and launched an application called Ushahidi, this is now a globally used crowd sourcing mapping application, Nigerians have launched a daily deals website, it's like their own local eBay where you can buy almost everything heavily discounted.

A South African founded the now universally applicable wordpress themes for all types of web publishers.

Our own http://classified.co.zw is one example of serious online marketing with average hits of eight million visits every month, this is an obvious red light from a thirsty market where competition will breathe sustainable life into the sector.

With such great opportunities lying in the mobile and web applications development, it is really high time Zimbabwe creates a community of entrepreneurs from where Scalable Startups are built. Mr Kabweza said: "We need to expose local tech activity and celebrate our own successes to attract investment, building communities that enables startups to export services and intellectual property.

Zimbabwe has the talent, most of it is spread around the world."

Like what my colleague, Costa ManoL said, "the ICT industry has really been jumpstarted". Such events and platforms are vital to help bring together our scattered local and international talent.

The Diaspora's input cannot be understated, the compass point should be clearer for our college leavers.

Life after technical or university graduation should not introduce our tender but gifted potential to the wilderness.

Zimbabwe has entrepreneurs and organisations that have the capacity to steer our ICTs to dizzy heights, these are the synergies we need for real ICT booming.

Serious consultations and engagements will see this brainchild being fruitful.