ZIMBABWE’S trade as a share of GDP slumped during years of political turmoil and uncertainty, worsening the economic crisis, historical data processed by IOW Data has revealed. Trade as a share of GDP is the sum of exports and imports of goods and services measured as a share of gross domestic product. Historical data have shown that…
Data from the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) has shown that corruption cases account for one of the lowest numbers of new prisoner admissions in the fourth quarter of 2024, despite the country performing poorly on corruption indices. According to the data, only 48 individuals were admitted to prison for corruption during this period out…
AN analysis of Auditor-General reports, spanning from 2020 to 2023, has revealed a critical failure among Zimbabwean local authorities to establish fundamental risk management policies, raising accountability fears. Risk management policies are crafted to guide institutions on how they can manage economic pitfalls that possibly lead to financial losses. Hence, the failure by local authorities to…
ZIMBABWE’S manufacturing industry, though the largest single driver of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), is showing sluggish growth, according to the latest 2023 Economic Census data. The census, which mapped 204,798 enterprises, shows that over 70% of business establishments are in wholesale, while only 8% are in manufacturing. The sector contributes 15.3% to GDP…
DATA from the The World Bank, in its report Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report, has revealed a severe global electricity access deficit, with 76% of the world’s unconnected population concentrated in just 20 countries, 18 of which are in Sub-Saharan Africa. Nigeria (86.8 million), the Democratic Republic of Congo (79.6 million), and Ethiopia…
ONLY 5.9% of business establishments nationally are registered with the National Social Security Authority of Zimbabwe (“NSSA”), data by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency has shown. This figure is largely attributed to the overwhelming prevalence of informal businesses across Zimbabwe, with 76.1% of all establishments operating informally. Harare leads with 6.7% registered, while Mashonaland Central…
BY NATHAN GUMA IN the blazing sun, Charles Kateza, a farmer from Kateza Village in Rushinga District, is busy with his trowel on top of a small latrine he is building. His son stands nearby, mixing more mortar with a shovel, ready to pass it to him, while his wife fetches water from a small…
BY NATHAN GUMA AND DELIGHT GUMA WHEN Tanatswa Matsikwa, a young man from Concession, Zimbabwe, left Zimbabwe for school in Zambia, his ambition was to get an education. But his exit from the country has also made him the envy of many, as he can now explore opportunities outside the country for a change. For…
BY NATHAN GUMA IT is dusk at the South Korean Ambassador’s residence in Highlands, Harare, and crowds are trickling in to be part of the Sounds and Spirit of Korea, a showcase of the country’s art and traditions. Visitors pass by a few desks, grabbing refreshments and South Korean souvenirs such as the buchae, which…
BY DELIGHT GUMA GROWING up in a farm school at Adam Farm in Harare’s peri-urban area of Stoneridge, Vivian Nheya witnessed a harsh reality, where girls in her community were married off as soon as they finished Grade 7, cutting short their dreams. She vividly remembers the day when one brilliant girl in her class, whose intelligence and perseverance she…
