Zimbabwean bakers warn that bread prices could exceed US$1 amid surging flour costs, inflationary pressures, and supply-chain challenges, prompting government engagement on affordability ( image source ) HARARE – Zimbabwe’s bakers have sounded the alarm over a proposed hike in flour prices, warning that the cost of a standard loaf of bread could soon exceed US$1, further straining household budgets amid a deepening cost-of-living crisis. In a letter dated 24 October 2025 addr

SARB fines Access Forex R162,500 after identifying serious AML and FICA compliance gaps, warning ADLAs of tightening oversight across cross-border remittances ( image source ) The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has imposed administrative sanctions totalling R162,500 on Access Forex (Pty) Limited, an authorised dealer in foreign exchange with limited authority, after finding material deficiencies in its anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorist-financing controls. SARB’s

Government says domestic production and secured imports will ensure timely fertiliser supply for Zimbabwe’s 2025–26 planting season ( image source ) Government has moved to reassure farmers that fertiliser stocks will be sufficient for the 2025–26 summer cropping season, with officials citing strong domestic production and secured imports to support the Presidential Input Scheme as planting intensifies nationwide. Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development per

Industry leaders say fintech can expand financial access in Zimbabwe by lowering transaction costs, improving credit for informal traders and boosting digital payments ( image source ) Fintech innovations are emerging as a critical lever to broaden financial market access in Zimbabwe by lowering transaction costs, expanding digital payments and unlocking credit channels for consumers and micro-enterprises historically excluded from formal banking. Old Mutual Zimbabwe chief ex

Analysts warn the cannabis boom in Zimbabwe and South Africa is enriching major investors while excluding small farmers, risking deeper rural inequality ( image source ) A rapid expansion of commercial cannabis cultivation and processing across South Africa and Zimbabwe is creating a lucrative frontier for well-capitalised investors while simultaneously threatening to exclude the smallholder farmers who have long depended on the crop for subsistence and cash income. Industria

Persistent inflation and currency volatility threaten to slow Zimbabwe’s growth in 2026 despite gains in agriculture and mining ( image source ) International lenders and regional economists warn that persistent inflation and exchange-rate pressure could slow Zimbabwe’s growth in 2026, trimming projected GDP expansion despite strong performances in agriculture and mining during 2025. The African Development Bank (AfDB), IMF and World Bank expect growth to moderate next year a

Zimbabwe is reviewing licence and permit fees across 12 economic sectors to streamline regulation, cut business costs and support formalisation and growth ( image source ) The government has launched a cross-sector review to reduce levies, fees, licences and permit costs across 12 key economic sectors, pledging streamlined regulatory requirements intended to lower the cost of doing business and spur formal investment and job creation. The initiative targets agriculture, retai

Gold prices fell over 5% in a sudden market reversal, triggering sharp declines in silver and platinum as traders locked in profits after a record-breaking rally, raising questions about liquidity, volatility and future demand ( image source ) Gold plunged more than 5 percent on Tuesday in the steepest single-day fall in more than a decade, sparking a broad sell-off across precious metals as traders moved to lock in profits after an extraordinary 2025 rally that pushed bullio

Zimbabwe’s agriculture sector hit US$10.3 billion in 2025, a 74% jump driven by better rains, irrigation, and crop recovery ( image source ) Zimbabwe’s agriculture sector surged to an estimated US$10.3 billion in 2025, a 73.9% increase from US$5.6 billion in 2024, driven by improved rainfall, expanded irrigation, and strong recoveries in tobacco, wheat, blueberries, and livestock, according to Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube. The rebound, he said at the ZANU-PF Annual People’s

Zimbabwe’s Cold Storage Company exits business rescue after creditor settlements and capital injections, signalling a cautious revival for the meat processor amid questions over transparency, sustainability, and long-term job security ( image source ) The Cold Storage Company (CSC) has formally exited business rescue after creditors and management confirmed substantial implementation of a restructuring plan — marking a potential revival for one of Zimbabwe’s largest meat proc

The 2025 National Journalism and Media Awards (Njama) in Harare celebrate excellence under the theme “Impact and Information Integrity,” uniting media, government, and business to promote ethical journalism and public trust ( image source ) The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) hosts the 2025 National Journalism and Media Awards (Njama) in Harare this evening — a gala that celebrates excellence across investigative, developmental, environmental, data, and photojournalism un

Zimbabwe’s manufacturing sector now leads GDP growth with US$1.4 billion in new investments ( image source ) Zimbabwe’s manufacturing sector has overtaken mining and agriculture to become the single largest contributor to GDP after attracting more than US$1.4 billion in new investments in 2025 — a shift the Finance Minister says underscores renewed investor confidence in industrialisation and import substitution policies. The investments, directed at steel, cement, pharmaceut

RioZim faces union backlash after offering US$160,000 to stop business rescue proceedings, with labour leaders demanding court-supervised restructuring to safeguard jobs, pensions, and transparency ( image source ) A stalemate has opened between labour and management after a major mining company offered a cash settlement intended to halt formal business rescue proceedings, a move the country’s largest union says would short-change workers and leave long-term protections unadd

Zimbabwe launches a US$320,000 pilot to mechanise the sorghum value chain under the FARM P3 initiative ( image source ) Government and development partners have launched a pilot to mechanise the sorghum value chain, promoting sorghum as a climate-resilient staple and income source for smallholders across high-potential districts in Zimbabwe. The pilot, part of the multi-country Food and Agriculture Resilience Mission Pillar 3 (FARM P3), will test post-harvest mechanisation mo

The IMF projects Zimbabwe’s economy to grow by 6% in 2025, driven by agriculture and commodities ( image source ) Zimbabwe is forecast to be one of Southern Africa’s best-performing economies in 2025, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projecting a sharp rebound to around 6 percent GDP growth driven by improved agriculture, rising commodity prices and infrastructure spending. Early-morning traders at Harare’s Granary Market described a steadier flow of goods and buyer

Gweru’s Go Beer Breweries has reopened after a US$2.7 million refurbishment, creating over 90 jobs and reviving a key municipal enterprise under Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 drive for local economic growth ( image source ) GWERU — The City of Gweru’s decision to invest in reviving Go Beer Breweries has delivered an early economic win for the Midlands: the brewery reopened this month following a US$2.7 million refurbishment and has already rehired scores of local workers, signalling

Zimbabwe’s corporate leaders and governance experts meet in Victoria Falls for the CGAIZ annual conference, focusing on ethics, sustainability and reform to strengthen accountability and drive Vision 2030 ( image source ) HARARE — Delegates from Zimbabwe’s corporate, public and civil society sectors are converging on Victoria Falls for the Chartered Governance and Accounting Institute in Zimbabwe (CGAIZ) annual conference, a three-day forum billed as a catalyst for ethical re

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe projects foreign reserves to surpass US$1 billion by end-2025 ( image source ) Harare — Zimbabwe’s foreign currency war chest is on the brink of a landmark breakthrough, with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) projecting its reserves will eclipse the US$1 billion threshold by the end of 2025. Acting Governor Dr. Jesimen Chipika made the announcement at the 11th Annual CEO Africa Roundtable Conference in Victoria Falls, outlining how a fortified re

Quest Motor Manufacturing in Mutare will begin assembling 180 Chinese light commercial vehicles locally, boosting Zimbabwe’s industrial capacity and advancing Vision 2030’s manufacturing goals ( image source ) Mutare — Quest Motor Manufacturing is poised to kick-start local vehicle assembly next month, marking a pivotal advance in Zimbabwe’s drive to bolster domestic industry and slash import costs. The first tranche of equipment is expected in November, enabling the factory

Zimbabwe’s finance delegation, led by George Guvamatanga, engages IMF and World Bank officials in Washington to secure a Staff-Monitored Programme aimed at restoring investor confidence and paving the way for arrears clearance ( image source ) HARARE — Zimbabwe’s finance delegation, led by Finance Secretary George Guvamatanga, is in Washington D.C. for the 2025 IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings, as discussions intensify over a Staff-Monitored Programme (SMP) aimed at restori