The Creative Compass: Why NDS2 Is Your Next Big Stage

Welcome to the debut of The Creative Compass, a new column here at the Southerton Business Times dedicated entirely to you the beat-makers, the stone-carvers, the canvas-painters, and the stage-shakers of Zimbabwe.

As Zimbabwe approaches 2026, one policy framework is coming sharply into focus, National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2). For creative practitioners, the significance of NDS2 can only be fully understood by first reflecting on the path laid down by NDS1 (2021–2025).

NDS1: A Necessary First Step

At its core, NDS1 was a five-year economic stabilisation and reform programme. For the arts sector, its most significant contribution was conceptual rather than commercial the formal recognition of the arts as part of the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs). That recognition mattered. It placed artistic production within national planning frameworks, moving creatives from the margins of informality into formal development discourse.

Under NDS1, this shift translated into tangible opportunities for some practitioners. Filmmaker Cook Off director Tomas Brickhill and fashion designer Tapfumanei Munenge benefitted from increased international exposure tied to “Brand Zimbabwe” conversations. Musicians such as Jah Prayzah and Winky D demonstrated how structured production, branding and touring could turn cultural output into exportable economic activity. Sculptors from Tengenenge and Nyanga continued to anchor Zimbabwe’s visual identity in global art markets.

What worked:Under NDS1, government and partners supported the emergence of creative hubs, pilot funding mechanisms such as CreativeACTIONs2, and early discussions around “Brand Zimbabwe”, which positioned cultural output as an exportable national asset. These initiatives signalled intent that creativity had economic value beyond entertainment.

What fell short:Structural constraints remained. Intellectual property enforcement lagged behind policy ambition, leaving creators vulnerable to unauthorised distribution of their work. High data costs, limited access to affordable finance and weak market linkages continued to restrict scale, particularly for youth and rural-based artists. NDS1 acknowledged these challenges, but solutions remained uneven.

NDS2: From Recognition to Returns

Launched to cover 2026–2030, NDS2 builds on that foundation with a clearer emphasis on job creation, youth participation and productivity. For the creative sector, the policy direction is less about recognition and more about commercial viability.

Government statements and budget signals indicate an intention to more deliberately integrate CCIs into growth planning. This includes aligning creative activity with industrialisation, digital trade and employment creation, rather than treating it as a parallel cultural pursuit.

What NDS2 Means in Practical Terms

For creatives, three themes are particularly relevant:

• Commercialisation: NDS2 places stronger emphasis on formalisation encouraging creatives to operate as registered enterprises that can access finance, contracts and export pathways.

• Digital Market Access: The strategy acknowledges the role of digital platforms, new technologies and emerging tools in expanding markets beyond national borders. The focus is on enabling creators to participate competitively in global value chains.

• Intellectual Property Reform: While reform outcomes will depend on implementation, NDS2 renews attention on copyright protection and royalty systems as essential infrastructure for sustainable creative incomes.

These are not guarantees, but policy signals. Their impact will depend on uptake, institutional capacity and sustained engagement from the sector itself.

Why Participation Matters

Policy frameworks do not implement themselves. NDS2 relies on participation through grant applications, industry associations, cooperatives, guilds and formal business registration. Creatives who remain outside organised structures risk missing opportunities embedded in national planning.

For the sculptor in Mbare, the fashion designer in Gweru or the producer in Chitungwiza, the question is no longer whether the arts belong in the economy. That debate has been settled. The question now is how creatives position themselves within it. Zimbabwe’s path to Vision 2030 explicitly includes cultural production as an economic contributor. In this column, The Creative Compass will focus on translating policy into practical steps funding access, compliance basics, market strategies and institutional navigation. For more you can email the writer at mdarawengozha@gmail.com or WhatsApp +263 772 113 605. 

The stage is set. What follows depends on who steps onto it.