Online Reporter
Victoria Ruzvidzo-Editor’s Brief
THIS week Zimbabwe enters an important stage in its drive to attain an upper middle income economy under Vision 2030, with the launch of National Development Strategy 2.
The successor programme to NDS1, is expected to build on the huge successes over the last five years, culminating in Zimbabwe achieving a 6,6 percent GDP growth at the end of this year.
Excitement has gripped the nation as we await the President’s pronouncements. NDS 1 saw the economy fending off such challenges such as drought and shifting geo-politics, emerging stronger. There is a strong belief that NDS 2 will not only consolidate the gains, but will catapult the economy to the next level.
Cabinet last week received and approved NDS2, setting the stage for its launch. Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere and his Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion counterpart, Professor Mthuli Ncube, gave a synopsis of NDS 2 at the Cabinet briefing.
NDS 2 is expected to consolidate gains made under NDS 1 and accelerate Zimbabwe’s journey towards Vision 2030. You may recall that Government advised that coming up with NDS 2 would take 18 months and the preparatory stages started with the economic census which commenced in May 2024.
The crafting of NDS 2 started with stakeholder consultations to come up with National Priorities, key pillars for NDS 2 formulation and implementation.
As is often the case with substantive plans and strategies, NDS 2 is a result of comprehensive consultations and brainstorming. There is a fallacy in some quarters who believe that such strategies are arbitrary and thumb-sucked. On the contrary, a lot of work goes on prior to the attainment of substantive results. This applies to both private and public sectors.
In 2021, the Amazon CEO wrote a letter to shareholders stating, “People assume that the game-changing innovations they admire just pop out of somebody’s head, a light bulb goes off, a team executes to that idea and presto —you have a new invention that is a breakaway success for a long time. That is rarely, if ever, how it happens.”
And he continued; “One of the lesser-known facts about innovative companies like Amazon is that they are relentlessly debating, re-defining, tinkering, iterating and experimenting to take the seed of a big idea and make it into something that resonates with customers and meaningfully changes their customer experience over a long period of time.”
This applies to corporates as it does entire economies.
Our National Development Strategies are based on Integrated Results Based Management (RBM) developed and popularised by the United Nations Development Programme in the 1990s and applied by many other organisations such as the World Bank and Red Cross. It focuses on achieving specific measurable results and outcomes rather, than just tracking inputs and activities. It’s a management strategy that helps to:
Set clear goals and objectives
Define indicators to measure progress
Monitor and evaluate outcomes
Make informed decisions.
The benefits of RBM include enhanced accountability with its unfailing focus on outcomes and results, deepened decision- making premised on data and evidence, improved efficiency emanating from streamlined processes and diminished bureaucracy with better resource allocation as resources are directed towards high-impact areas as prioritising monitoring and evaluation for tracking progress, while noting areas of improvement and making informed decisions.
Understanding NDS2, there are 10 broad pillars that will drive development across all sectors, reduced from 14 under NDS 1, indicating increased focus without compromising expansiveness. The priorities include measures to deepen macroeconomic stability, accelerate economic growth, strengthen infrastructure development and housing, and enhancing resilience in food security, climate change and the environment.
It places emphasis on science and technology, digital innovation and development of human capital. Job creation, youth empowerment, sport and culture are in the plan as is devolution, social protection, gender equality, the country’s international image and governance reforms, as captured by our Senior Reporter Rumbidzai Zinyuke in our edition of Wednesday November 19, 2025.
“The priority areas are premised on whole-of-Government and society approach and shall be coordinated through Thematic Working Groups, encompassing ministries, departments, agencies, local authorities and the private sector,” said Dr Muswere during Cabinet briefing last week.
The minister noted the substantial progress achieved under NDS 1.This included:
Strong average GDP growth as from 2021
Managed to contain annual inflation
Demostrated resilience in the face of global shocks, including Covid-19, tightened financial conditions, geopolitical tensions and climate-related disasters
The economy expected to grow by 6,6 percent in 2025 up from 1,7 percent in 2024 spurred by a rebounding mining and agriculture
Foreign reserves rose from about US$276 million in April 2024 to over US$900 million by October 2025, prompting the World Bank to rank Zimbabwe first among the top 10 countries in the world that made significant progress in foreign currency reserves accumulation.
The introduction of the ZIG operating along other multi-currencies stabilised the exchange rate and restored confidence in the local unit.
Completed major infrastructure developments including Trabablas Interchange, Robert Mugabe International Airport expansion, Hwange Units 7 and 8 power project, which added 700MW to the national grid and extensive road works through the ERRP 1 and 2.
Manufacturing capacity utilisation improved agriculture production surged, achieving national self-sufficiency in wheat and maize. Wheat surpassed 600 000 tonnes in 2025, and tobacco deliveries reached a record 355 million kg.
Prof Ncube said of NDS2; “It was approved by Cabinet today, so it is as good as being here but the ceremony next week (to be held this week) will officially launch it, with the President presiding over the dissemination.”
He added that NDS2 would maintain the structured approach under NDS1 and it rests on clearly defined outcomes and sub-strategies for each of the 10 pillars.
“There is a very robust measurement framework just like NDS1 and we will track progress on a quarterly,half year and annual basis.”
One difference he noted between NDS 1 and 2 is that the latter will have enhanced monitoring and evaluation.
The minister also acknowledged challenges in external debt, which restricts access to concessional funding but said that the improved macroeconomic environment positions Zimbabwe to strengthen Public-Private Partnerships and attract investment.
Monitoring and Evaluation is a critical component in the attainment of Vision 2030 and its enhancement under NDS 2 in terms of;
Improved decision-making as it provides data and insights that form the basis of decisions.
It accentuates accountability by ensuring transparency and accountability to stakeholders.
It facilitates learning and improvement by identifying areas which can be bettered as well as bringing to the fore emerging opportunities.
It also optimises efficient resource allocation. Zimbabwe, under the leadership of President Mnangagwa has proactively introduced measures to attract investment.
The streamlining of registration procedures and the ongoing review of fees, licenses permits is decidedly progressive. The increased focus on infrastructure development and rehabilitation oils the economy. It anchors business, boosting productivity and competitiveness. It is a prime consideration for investors.
Additionally, connectivity is enhanced. Roads, railways and telecommunication connect people, business and markets, thereby facilitating trade and economic integration. Robust infrastructure also supports industrial development and catalyses in specific sectors including manufacturing, agriculture and tourism. Invariably, quality of life is enhanced as access to basic services like sanitation, water and healthcare infrastructure improves living standards and contributes to human development.
This resonates with the injunction of leaving no one and no place behind as we reassert ourselves in the attainment of Vision 2030.
As we delve into Zimbabwe’s economic growth and development strategies, it is perhaps apt that we look at other models in Asia where countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and China.
Singapore introduced economic policies which can broadly be categorised in 4 phases. The first phase was focused on import substitution and promoting industrialisation.
This period ran between 1959 to 1965. The second one conversely focussed on export promotion where foreign investments were sought in mainly labour-intensive activities.
This was during the period 1966 up to 1973.By early 1970s, the unemployment problem that had plagued Singapore since its independence was largely solved. The third phase consisted of industrial restructuring and occurred between 1973 to 1984.
Thus the fourth phase, economic diversification came into being with its genesis in 1985 to present day. New sectors were and are being explored where technology gaps could be exploited in biotechnolgy, computer peripherals and aerospace.
These were identified as high growth areas with pioneer and expansion incentives. Singapore’s Economic Development Board and the Trade Development Board offered a wide range of incentives to locally-owned and partially locally-owned firms to establish operations abroad.
Malaysia’s growth trajectory presents another interesting study. The government launched the New Economic Policy (NEP) in 1971 which reliance on agriculture.
The late 1980s to mid 1990 was a period of rapid growth and infrastructure development which at times was only second to China. Manufactured goods, particularly electronics, like microchips and semiconductors constituted majority of exports.
From 2000 to present day, Malaysia diversified into services and innovation. Subsequent to the Asian financial crises, its focus drifted to the service sector (finance, education, tourism and Information Communication Technology and other knowledge- intensive industries.
Currently and in the future, Malaysia is focussed on hi-tech and the green economy. There are continuing structural reforms and there are national masterplans like the National Investment Manufacturing Plan (NIMP) 2030.
There are some similarities and differences in Zimbabwe’s current National Development Strategies and those pursued by Singapore and Malaysia. In these economies, macroeconomic stability, infrastructure development and FDI for example, play defining roles.
All economies are subject to external shocks, the Asian financial crisis in the case of Singapore and Malaysia and El Nino induced drought in the case of Zimbabwe, thus negatively impacted on economic outcomes, albeit temporarily. By contrast, growth in the Asian economies’ various sectors was sequential while in Zimbabwe’s case it is concurrent with multiple sectors (agriculture, manufacturing, mining, tourism) targeted at the same time.
Furthermore, inclusivity is a significantly more pronounced imperative and running theme in Zimbabwe National Development Strategies.
NDS 2 is with us and we await its launch by the President this week. Zimbabwe is poised for incremental growth with the feasible, plausible and desirable empowered and prosperous upper middle-income society by 2030.
All hands on deck! In God I Trust,
X handle: @VictoriaRuzvid2; Email: [email protected]; [email protected]; WhatsApp number: 0772 129 972.
