A hybrid digital shield: An integrated cellular-CCTV contact tracing in Zimbabwe and other resource-constrained settings

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed structural weaknesses in Zimbabwe's contact tracing systems, particularly in identifying infected individuals and managing quarantine compliance. This study evaluates the feasibility of integrating cellular network triangulation and Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) systems to enhance digital contact tracing in low- resource settings. A sequential mixed-methods approach was employed, combining technical simulations using MATLAB with stakeholder interviews involving telecom engineers, police officers, and academic specialists. Quantitative assessments demonstrated that cellular triangulation achieved an average positional accuracy of 91 percent in urban areas, while AI-assisted CCTV systems provided up to 85 percent tracking precision under optimized lighting conditions. Simulation results confirmed that integrating cellular and CCTV data improved overall tracing accuracy from 78.1 percent to 85.2 percent, validating the operational feasibility of a hybrid system. Qualitative insights underscored the necessity of legal reform, data privacy safeguards, and public trust to ensure ethical implementation. The study concludes that Zimbabwe possesses the infrastructural and technical capacity to operationalize an integrated digital tracing framework, provided it is supported by robust governance, privacy legislation, and community engagement. This research contributes an adaptable model for ethically grounded, real-time epidemic surveillance in resource- constrained environments.