NDS2 New Priorities to Steer Zimbabwe Towards Inclusive Growth

Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) introduces a 10-cluster framework prioritising industrialisation, value addition, and social inclusion (image source)

HARARE — Government planners have completed a new 10-cluster framework to guide the implementation of the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), a five-year economic blueprint aimed at driving Zimbabwe from post-crisis recovery towards inclusive, middle-income growth by 2030. The framework organises key priorities into ten clusters — infrastructure, industrialisation, agriculture, minerals value-addition, human capital, social protection, governance, climate resilience, macro-fiscal stability, and regional integration.

Officials unveiled the structure at the NDS2 Road-Map Indaba in Harare, emphasising that the clustered approach will help government sequence policies and investments to ensure that limited capital delivers maximum employment and value addition. Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube told delegates that a draft version of the plan will be completed by October before submission to Cabinet, describing NDS2 as a shift from “crisis management to structural transformation.”

Government briefing materials circulated at the event said the strategy aims to align public budgets, donor support, and private capital with measurable national development outcomes. Priority areas include mineral beneficiation and agro-processing, where authorities hope to increase domestic processing of lithium, chrome, and agricultural commodities to retain more value locally. Private investors attending the indaba urged the government to simplify investment regulations and accelerate land-use cadastre services to fast-track project approvals.

Civil society organisations called for stronger social protection systems and greater labour formalisation to ensure that economic growth translates into real poverty reduction. Community representatives warned that growth without equitable distribution risks deepening social tensions, especially in rural and low-income urban communities. Policy analysts from Harare-based think-tanks praised the clustered design as “sensible and strategic” but cautioned that it will require consistent policy execution, credible financing, and institutional discipline.

Implementation timelines shared by planners show drafting between June and October, followed by Cabinet consideration in November. Observers noted that the compressed schedule underscores the need for tight coordination between ministries, Parliament, and provincial authorities responsible for on-the-ground execution. Local government leaders called for clear resource devolution mechanisms to support municipalities and provinces, while trade and export groups pressed for immediate policy incentives — including targeted tax relief and public-private partnerships to develop local processing plants and transport corridors.