The Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) has outlined a new five-year plan aimed at strengthening the country’s investment pipeline and improving policy predictability, having overseen a surge in investments since its inception, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Ryan Chigoche
As ZIDA enters its next five-year cycle, its performance since inception provides the backdrop for the reforms now underway. In its first phase, the Agency built an investor-centred framework designed to ease administrative bottlenecks and improve inter-government coordination.
It expanded the One-Stop Investment Services Centre, streamlined procedures across mining, energy, manufacturing, agriculture, ICT, and tourism, and ramped up international promotion through missions to London, Beijing, Dubai, and Perth. These institutional gains, Chinamo said, now anchor ZIDA’s next strategic phase.
Speaking at the Annual Investor Cocktail in Harare, ZIDA chief executive Tafadzwa Chinamo said the next phase of the Agency’s work will prioritise preserving the gains already made while enhancing competitiveness, regulatory clarity, and service delivery efficiency across all major sectors of the economy.
“Our philosophy remains simple: investors are partners, not transactions. Over the past year, we have improved licensing turnaround times, enhanced aftercare services, deepened policy dialogue, and maintained transparent communication. Sector-focused promotion has also unlocked new partnerships and reinvestments, reinforcing our commitment to clarity, certainty, and accountability. Looking ahead, ZIDA’s Five-Point Plan will focus on strengthening the investment pipeline, fostering a predictable policy environment, enhancing competitiveness, improving service delivery efficiency, and reinforcing our internal systems to ensure operational excellence,” Chinamo said.
ZIDA’s Priorities for the Next Five Years
Chinamo said the Agency’s new Five-Point Plan will guide operations to 2030 and is centred on strengthening the investment pipeline, promoting a predictable policy environment, enhancing national competitiveness, improving service delivery, and reinforcing internal systems.
He added that these measures are aimed at supporting growth in sectors with the highest impact potential, including mining, energy, manufacturing, and agriculture.
The launch of the new strategic plan comes as investment momentum continues to build in 2025, driven largely by activity in the mining and energy sectors. In the third quarter, Zimbabwe recorded US$3.26 billion in projected investment commitments. Financial services led with US$2.15 billion, followed by energy at US$543 million, while mining attracted US$379 million. Manufacturing contributed US$120 million, mainly from retooling and value-addition initiatives.
ZIDA’s reform efforts have also been supported by global institutions. Through UNCTAD, the Agency launched the e-Regulations Portal to improve access to transparent procedural information. Collaboration with the IFC and World Bank has strengthened the Special Economic Zones framework and enhanced investment promotion capacity.
The Agency continues to work with Afreximbank and the AfDB on regional integration initiatives, while partnerships with UNDP and WFP support inclusive and sustainable development programmes.
Chinamo said the next five years will focus on consolidating gains made since the Agency’s formation while accelerating reforms that provide clarity and certainty for investors across key sectors.
