Online Reporter
Innovation takes centre stage at National Youth Symposium 2025
Welcome to our live coverage of the National Youth Symposium, taking place from today at the Harare Showgrounds.
The event aims to unite young entrepreneurs across Zimbabwe, fostering collaboration and innovation as they play a crucial role in the nation’s economic transformation.
Over the next two days, attendees will engage in discussions, networking, and exhibitions, all culminating in an awards ceremony to be presided over by President Mnangagwa, recognising outstanding contributions to national development.
Under the theme “Empower the Youth, Secure the Future,” this symposium is set to create a vibrant platform for young leaders to showcase their ideas and initiatives.
Stay tuned as our reporter, Remember Deketeke and photographer Memory Mangombe bring you live updates and insights from this exciting event.
Government committed to empowering young entrepreneurs, says Minister Machakaire
Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training Minister, Tino Machakaire, expressed optimism for the future of young entrepreneurs after touring the exhibition stands at the Glamis Arena yesterday.
He stated that the symposium would provide policymakers with a clearer understanding of the needs of young businesspeople, enabling the Government to design more effective support mechanisms.
“We are now moving forward with a clear picture of what needs to be done to support those that are yet to grow in their businesses.
“If we had not organised this, we would only be speaking in general terms about youth businesses. But now, this is reality; we can see what is happening.”
Minister Machakaire expressed his gratitude to the stakeholders, young entrepreneurs, and Government partners who contributed to making the event a success.
He emphasised that the symposium would strengthen national efforts to empower the youth through entrepreneurship.
“The Government’s goal is not only to celebrate success stories but also to motivate other young Zimbabweans to start their own ventures and become active participants in building the economy.
“We want to see what our youth are doing in terms of growing their businesses and supporting our GDP.”
He also highlighted the Government’s commitment to understanding how best to support young entrepreneurs and encourage those not yet in business to join the movement.
“As a Government, we need to see how we can motivate those not yet in business to come on board and move together with their Government.”
In addition, Minister Machakaire addressed the pressing issue of drug and substance abuse, noting that several ministries, including the Ministry of Home Affairs, were collaborating with youth groups to develop sustainable solutions to this challenge.
“Our main issue remains the fight against drug and substance abuse,” he said.
“We appreciate all the partners, particularly the Ministry of Home Affairs, for coming up with solutions to combat this problem. This symposium is part of that solution; it gives our youth purpose, focus, and opportunity.”
Youth are the present, not just the future: Deputy Minister Mupamhanga
The Government is reiterating its commitment to placing young people at the centre of the country’s development agenda, aligning youth programming with national visions under the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP), National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), and the forthcoming NDS2.
Officially opening the symposium at the Harare Agricultural Showgrounds, Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training Deputy Minister Kudakwashe Mupamhanga stated that the gathering was designed to consolidate youth initiatives under one coordinated platform, ensuring that all stakeholders work in harmony to deliver measurable results in empowering young Zimbabweans.
The symposium has attracted over 80 exhibitors, including Government ministries, the private sector, civil society, and youth-led enterprises. It serves as a networking and learning hub aimed at harmonising efforts and strengthening youth inclusion in national development programmes.
“At the moment, we currently have over 80 exhibitors that include developmental partners, young people themselves, the private sector, as well as our sister ministries,” said Deputy Minister Mupamhanga.
“The objective of this symposium is to bring youth programming into one place, as we align ourselves with the developmental trajectory that started with the TSP, moved through NDS1, and now, as we transition into NDS2, youth remain a vital pillar.”
He noted that research conducted over the past two years had revealed that fragmented efforts by various organisations and ministries were hindering the effective empowerment of young people.
“We have a lot of different entities, a lot of different people doing different things in different directions. So it’s not really giving us the aggregate numbers we want in terms of empowering young people,” he explained.
Deputy Minister Mupamhanga emphasised that the symposium was conceived to foster collaboration, coordination, and accountability among all players involved in youth development.
“We said, let us bring everyone together. Let’s start programming together. Not just for the symposium, but even beyond; we are going into a strategic meeting after this,” he remarked.
“We also want to use this opportunity to network as a ministry, to connect with other organisations, and identify young people out there whom we might not yet have in our database. This will help us programme better in the future.”
Deputy Minister Mupamhanga highlighted that youth empowerment requires a collective effort across all sectors, urging private players and developmental partners to continue supporting Government initiatives.
“Government cannot do it alone. We need everybody, all hands on deck, in terms of youth programming,” he stated.
“We are talking about the whole country. Our youth are everywhere: in agriculture, mining, tourism, sport, arts, and culture. Even in rural areas, the youth are active contributors to economic development.”
He underscored that youth participation is not confined to the future but is a present reality shaping the nation’s progress.
“Yes, the youth are the future, but we must also recognise that the youth are the present,” he asserted.
Deputy Minister Mupamhanga concluded that the symposium marks a turning point in how Zimbabwe approaches youth development, shifting from isolated projects to coordinated, data-driven interventions that ensure no young person is left behind.
