Rural Zimbabwe: The Sleeping Giant of Our Economy

By Dr Last Mazambani

In the heat of Zaka, the rolling hills of Gokwe, the fertile valleys of Chimanimani, and the sun-baked plains of Nkayi, millions of Zimbabweans wake each day with hope, determination, and a simple dream: to make a better life for themselves and their families. These are the rural communities that make up more than 70% of our population, yet their stories of potential and perseverance are too often ignored.

Across 16.4 million hectares, almost half of Zimbabwe’s land, rural households struggle to survive on $70 to $116 a month. That adds up to a rural economy of $2–$3.5 billion, modest by global standards, but massive in untapped opportunity. Economic studies suggest that for every $1 invested in rural Zimbabwe, $2 to $7 could be returned. It is a chance for transformation that cannot be overlooked.

Life on the Edge of Potential

Walking through these communities, you see both the challenges and the promise. Smallholder farmers till the land with their bare hands. Mothers carry water for their families. Young people dream of jobs that don’t exist in their villages. Yet beneath the hardship is resilience, a readiness to innovate, adapt, and thrive if the right support arrives.

Rural Zimbabwe is more than subsistence farming. It is a laboratory of potential. From high-value crops and livestock to artisanal goods and renewable energy, the countryside has the ingredients to power national growth. What it lacks is infrastructure, technology, and access to markets.

Technology and Investment: A Path Forward

Imagine a farmer in Mutoko receiving real-time weather updates on his phone, knowing exactly when and where to sell his produce. Picture a schoolchild in Chipinge attending online classes from her village. Think of a cooperative in Tsholotsho selling handmade crafts across borders through e-commerce.

These are not distant dreams; they are achievable if investment, technology, and policy meet the ambition of rural communities. Roads, electricity, irrigation, digital connectivity, and knowledge transfer can turn marginal livelihoods into thriving local economies. Every dollar spent wisely has the potential to multiply economic returns several times over.

A Shared Responsibility

This transformation cannot happen through government action alone. It requires a partnership between local communities, NGOs, investors, and the diaspora. Urban Zimbabweans and those abroad can invest in their roots, not as charity, but as an opportunity. Development partners can provide technical expertise. And most importantly, the rural people themselves must be at the center of this growth story.

Rural Zimbabwe: From Forgotten to Frontline

For decades, rural Zimbabwe has been treated as a backdrop, a place of tradition, struggle, and survival. But the story is changing. These communities have the land, the labor, and the latent creativity to become engines of income, jobs, and economic resilience.

Of all the visions we hear today, this is the one that truly matters.

The promise is immense. The potential is undeniable. And the time to act is now. Rural Zimbabwe is not just part of our past; it could define the nation’s future. It could be the bridge to true economic inclusion, the missing link that connects rural potential to national prosperity.

It is time to wake the sleeping giant.

Bio:

Last Mazambani (PhD) is a transformational project management and change management professional in the public sector. His academic publications are on sustainability, financial inclusion, financial technology, and cryptocurrency. Click here to access his academic profile. Last can be contacted at lastmazambani@gmail.com.