On an ordinary weekday morning, the courtyard at Mater Dei Hospital was anything but ordinary. Nurses in crisp uniforms, local community leaders, government officials, UN representatives, and Officials from the Old Mutual Group gathered under a cloudy and cool Bulawayo weather to mark a quiet revolution, the switch-on of a solar photovoltaic (PV) hybrid system that promises to keep the hospital’s lights – and life‑saving machines – on.For the doctors, nurses and patients who call this faith-based institution a lifeline, the new system is not about technology or engineering diagrams. It is about one simple thing, certainty. Certainty that an operation will not be halted mid-surgery. Certainty that a premature baby’s incubator will not suddenly go dark. Certainty that vaccines in the cold room will still be potent when they are needed.Honorable Yeukai Simbanegavi, Deputy Minister of Energy and Power Development, commenced the proceedings with pride. "Today, we witness the tangible results of our Renewable Energy Fund, validating that our collaborative efforts indeed bear fruit," she said. Highlighting the importance of energy access, she said, "Reliable power is a foundation of modern economies and crucial for improving quality of life in our communities." Appreciating the strong partnership with the UN and Old Mutual Group, Honourable Simbanegavi advocated for increased innovation and collaboration, "as we accelerate energy expansion, it is through shared commitment that we can achieve universal electricity access by 2030."  Noting how electricity has quietly become as essential as medicine and trained staff in the modern hospital setting, the Honourable Deputy Minister said, “access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy remains a critical enabler for quality healthcare delivery in Zimbabwe.”For Mater Dei, which serves communities across Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and beyond, this has long been a daily struggle. Like many mission and referral hospitals across the country, it has had to weather frequent power cuts, relying on noisy, costly diesel generators to keep critical wards running.“Health institutions, particularly mission and rural referral hospitals, continue to experience electricity supply interruptions that compromise essential medical services, cold-chain systems, surgical operations, and emergency response capacity,” said the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Mr. Edward Kallon. The UN Chief emphasized the broader significance of the project, "We are switching on possibilities for patients whose lives depend on uninterrupted power. This is not just about solar panels; it represents progress toward a resilient health system."He painted a stark picture of Zimbabwe's energy reality, "With only 41 percent of the population having access to electricity, it is vital we bridge this gap." Mr. Kallon called for intensifying partnerships, saying, "Progress will be unequal and unjust without focusing on those left furthest behind."When the Power Goes, Lives Hang in the BalanceAsk any nurse in the theatre wing what a sudden blackout feels like, and you will hear about the seconds that seem to stretch into hours.In the past, when ZESA power failed during surgery, staff had to scramble, relying on generators that sometimes took precious minutes to kick in or required fuel that was not always immediately at hand. Doctors recall stitching by the dim glow of backup lamps. In the maternity ward, midwives have watched monitors flicker off just as a baby’s heartbeat needed close watching.Those moments are not just inconvenient; they are terrifying. Against this backdrop, Mater Dei was “identified as a priority facility requiring resilient and sustainable energy infrastructure,” Mr. Kallon explained, outlining how the hospital was selected under the Zimbabwe Joint SDG Fund Programme as one of the flagship sites to show what decentralized renewable energy can do for social services.With support from the joint UN SDG Fund's catalytic fund, the Old Mutual Group is managing and spearheading the Renewable Energy Fund, which has invested in the installation of a solar PV hybrid system designed to provide continuous power for essential hospital operations. This system integrates rooftop solar panels, smart inverters, and battery storage alongside the grid and existing backup systems.A System Built Around Patients, Not Just PanelsMr. Samuel Matsekete, CEO of Old Mutual Group, elaborated on the project’s impact, "This solar power plant not only enhances our energy infrastructure but also supports the Sustainable Development Goals we strive to achieve." He described the solar installation's capacity: "With a generation of over 1.3 million kilowatt-hours annually, we ensure reliable power for critical health services."Mr. Matsekete celebrated blended financing and public-private partnerships, "This incredible project was made possible through collaboration, demonstrating how united efforts can tackle energy challenges head-on."The new installation is designed to keep power steady where it matters most, in operating theatres, intensive care units, maternity and neonatal wards, emergency rooms, and cold rooms that store blood, vaccines, and vital drugs.“Under the Zimbabwe Joint SDG Fund Programme – strategic investments and matched fund from the Old Mutual Group are being deployed to demonstrate how decentralized renewable energy solutions can strengthen social service delivery while advancing sustainable development outcomes,” Mr. Kallon said, positioning Mater Dei as a demonstration site for the country.In practical terms, this means fewer cancelled operations, shorter delays in emergency response, and better continuity of care for chronically ill patients. It means that staff can plan surgeries based on clinical need, not on the vagaries of the power schedule. It means mothers in labour and children in high-dependency care will no longer be at the mercy of an unexpected outage.For rural families who travel long distances to reach the hospital, the new stability can be the difference between returning home treated and returning home in grief.Cutting Costs, Cutting Emissions – and Quietly Changing LivesBeyond clinical safety, the solar system is also an economic and environmental intervention. Diesel has long been a financial burden on health facilities, siphoning funds away from medicines, staff training and maintenance.Dr. Macheka, Chairperson of Mater Dei Hospital, acknowledged the hospital's crucial role in the community, stating, “Our ability to deliver top-tier care hinges on reliable power. This solar project answers our long-standing energy reliability challenges.  Dr. Macheka explained the significance of the solar system, "For patients, it means uninterrupted access to life-saving equipment; for our dedicated staff, it offers a dignified work environment." He noted, "We are paving the way for a model that can be replicated nationwide."“The renewable energy installation enhances operational continuity, reduces dependence on diesel generation, lowers operational costs, and contributes to Zimbabwe’s commitments under SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), and SDG 13 (Climate Action),” said  Dr Macheka.Lower fuel bills translate into more resources for patient care. Savings can support the purchase of essential drugs, repair of equipment, or outreach services to remote communities. At the same time, reduced diesel use means less air and noise pollution around the hospital and a smaller carbon footprint – a local gain that feeds into a global climate effort.For staff, the human impact is immediate. Fewer nights are punctuated by the roar of generators. The wards are quieter, cleaner, and more conducive to healing. The hospital’s maintenance team can focus more on preventive upkeep of medical equipment rather than constant firefighting to keep old generators running.A Beacon for Faith-Based and Rural Health FacilitiesMater Dei is not alone in its struggles, nor in its hopes. In many parts of Zimbabwe, mission and church-run hospitals bear a disproportionate share of the burden of caring for the rural poor. These institutions often serve as the only accessible point of tertiary and secondary care for entire districts, yet they operate with fragile infrastructure and limited budgets.What happens at Mater Dei, therefore, resonates far beyond Bulawayo. The hospital’s transformation into a solar-powered facility sends a signal to similar institutions across the country - modern, climate-resilient healthcare is possible, even in resource-constrained settings.“The commissioning ceremony marks the successful completion of this flagship intervention and provides an opportunity to showcase integrated UN support towards climate-resilient health infrastructure and sustainable energy access,” the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator said, highlighting the broader vision behind the project.That “integrated support” includes not only the hardware on the roof but also training for local technicians, capacity-building for hospital management, and linkages to national energy and health policies, ensuring that Mater Dei’s new system is sustainable in the long term.A Community’s Hospital, a Country’s LessonDeputy Honouable Minister and dignitaries unveiled the commemorative plaque, and the system was officially commissioned. But the most meaningful reactions were quieter, a theatre nurse whispering that she would finally “sleep better on call”; a young mother in the maternity ward, relieved to hear that the incubators in the neonatal unit would no longer be vulnerable to outages; a technician who spoke proudly about maintaining a state-of-the-art system in the hospital.While photovoltaic panels and batteries occupy the technical spotlight, the story at Mater Dei is ultimately about people – patients whose outcomes will improve, health workers whose stress levels will lessen, and a community whose confidence in its hospital will deepen.By anchoring advanced technology in the daily realities of a faith-based hospital, the project shows how clean energy can be more than a climate solution; it can be a human solution. In a country where energy insecurity has too often translated into health insecurity, the quiet hum of solar power at Mater Dei Hospital represents something profoundly social, the right to care that does not switch off when the grid does.Welcoming guests to the Mater Dei Solar Commissioning, Mr. B. Nkomo, Old Mutual Group Board Member, said, "today marks a crucial milestone for both Mater Dei Hospital and the Old Mutual Renewable Energy Fund." He reinforced the project's role in ensuring continuity of healthcare services, adding, "Hospitals rely heavily on consistent power, and this investment secures that necessity."The official commissioning of the Mater Dei Hospital Solar Power Plant serves as a beacon of hope for energy resilience in Zimbabwe. Leaders from various sectors rallied, echoing the commitment to transform the nation’s energy landscape, ensuring that no community is left behind in the journey toward a sustainable future.As the sun set over Bulawayo on commissioning day, the hospital’s lights stayed on – powered not by the rumble of diesel, but by the fading rays stored on its rooftop.  For the communities of Bulawayo and Matabeleland North and the staff who serve them, that steady glow was more than illumination. It was a promise.

In a small rural community in Mangwe, Zimbabwe, 539km from the capital city Harare, Annah Dube holds out a sketch of her homestead. The drawing looks simple, a few rectangles for the house and granary, a couple of fields, cattle, goats and chickens. To her it’s a map of possibility. “Before, these were just things we owned,” she says, tapping the page. “Now I see them as tools to create a better life for my family.”This shift in mindset was sparked by the Participatory Integrated Climate Services for Agriculture (PICSA) programme, implemented by the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNDP, with the Government of Zimbabwe, through AGRITEX and the Meteorological Services Department. The PICSA approach is a simple but powerful idea: provide farmers with knowledge and tools to make informed decisions.The programme brings together historical climate information, seasonal forecasts, and farmers’ own knowledge of their local conditions, using participatory planning approaches to help them make informed agricultural and livelihoods decisions. Through a train‑the‑trainers model, UN Agencies equip AGRITEX officers with PICSA tools, enabling them to guide farmers in linking their resources and priorities to reliable, locally relevant climate information.”In the 2025/26 season alone, over 23,000 farmers across six districts, Masvingo, Chipinge, Mwenezi, Mangwe, Rushinga, and Mt Darwin, benefited from PICSA training. Women make up 64% of participants, underscoring the programme’s role in empowering households.The pathway begins with the Resource Allocation Map, the picture Annah carries, inviting families to list every asset they already have: a field, a stand of trees, a small herd, a chicken coop, a well to access water. That’s followed by the seasonal calendar and a steady stream of seasonal and short-term forecasts, delivered with support from meteorologists. With that evidence in hand, farmers make concrete decisions: what to grow, when to plant, what to scale up, what to pause.“We used to guess,” shared Julius Siwadi, a farmer in Masvingo. “Now we plan. When the first rains came, I already had my fields prepared and mulched. The harvest fed us through the hungry months.”PICSA’s strength is that it doesn’t replace farmers’ judgment; it structures it. One AGRITEX officer, Daniel Kampiawo, in Rushinga put it this way: “PICSA doesn’t give orders. It gives options and the reasons behind them.” Officers say the programme has changed their work too, offering a clear framework, materials at hand, and a language that makes climate data understandable. With those tools, they report deeper trust and more regular dialogue especially around weather updates during the season.The ripple effects travel quickly. Farmers share what they learn within the household and across the village via farmer groups, demonstration plots, WhatsApp, and radio. That last channel has expanded PICSA’s reach. Trained AGRITEX officers now host radio programmes that walk listeners through pieces of the curriculum and seasonal advice, making climate smart planning available even where phones and data are scarce.The numbers behind those stories are striking. A 2025 report found that nearly all farmers made changes after training, 92% in crops, 50% in livestock, and 27% in livelihoods. Four out of five reported better food security, and almost two thirds saw household income rise. Many described moving planting dates earlier (guided by forecasts), adopting drought tolerant crops like sorghum and pearl millet, and improving soil and moisture management. Among those who shifted planting dates, 80% saw yield gains.Not every barrier is one training away from a fix. Many farmers said they wanted to do more but were held back by cash, inputs, and the risk of a bad season. “PICSA doesn’t pretend to solve all of that. What it does is reduce uncertainty and help households make the best possible decisions with what they have, when they need to make them,” explained WFP Programme Policy Officer, Munyaradzi Mubaiwa.In a country where climate change threatens food security, PICSA has become a strategic tool. By blending scientific knowledge with local realities, it empowers farmers and helps them thrive. As Annah shared, “We no longer wait for luck. We plan, we act, and we build our future.”This support was made possible by the Green Climate Fund, UNDP, the Government of Zimbabwe and other partners.

At dawn in Binga, in Zimbabwe’s drought-scorched Matabeleland North due to El Nino, 46-year-old farmer Sibongile Ncube peers at her simple Nokia handset, scrolling through a stream of SMS messages she no longer knows how to read—or trust.One text from a seed company promotes a “climate-smart” maize hybrid she’s never heard of. Another, in English, warns of “severe rainfall variability,” using language that feels far removed from the dry fields and empty micro-dam outside her homestead. A third insists she register yet again for a new subsidy scheme if she wants cheaper fertilizer.“They are always asking us for information,” she says quietly. “My name, my field size, my yields. But most of the time, nothing comes back. We don’t know who is using that information. We don’t know how it helps us.”That uneasy gap—between data taken and value returned, between cautious hope and deep distrust—sat at the core of the 2026 Agile Data and Digital Public Infrastructure Summit held this week at the Elephant Hills Hotel in Victoria Falls.Against the backdrop of the roaring falls and the soft clatter of laptops, one theme cut through: if Zimbabwe is to build a climate-resilient, digitally enabled agriculture sector, it must start with farmers like Sibongile—not as raw material for data pipelines, but as decision-makers who benefit directly from the systems built around them.“No farmer, no future. No trust, no transformation.”  “We must be honest with ourselves,” said Mrs. Miranda Tabifor, UNFPA Representative, Chair of the UN Programme Management Team, and Co-Chair of the National Data for Development and Innovation in Zimbabwe, as she opened a key session on policy for agile data and digital public infrastructure.“The question before us is not whether data and digital tools will shape the future of Zimbabwean agriculture and climate resilience. They already are. The question is whether we will shape that future deliberately and inclusively—or allow it to evolve in fragmented, inequitable, and ultimately fragile ways.”Addressing government officials, private-sector leaders, researchers, development partners and small-holder farmers from different parts of the world, Mrs. Tabifor offered an honest assessment. “Across the continent, and here in Zimbabwe, we have seen substantial investments in digital agriculture platforms—weather apps, farmer registries, e‑voucher systems, remote-sensing dashboards,” she noted. “Yet many initiatives remain small, fragmented, and difficult to scale. The barrier is no longer just technology. It is trust.”Farmers in the room recognized the pattern immediately, repeated registrations by different agencies; long questionnaires; promises that the data is “for development”—followed by silence.“Too often,” Mrs. Tabifor continued, “government builds one platform, the private sector builds another, donors fund a third, and none of them talk to each other. Data is locked in silos, business models feel threatened, and farmers see duplication rather than value. What emerges is not an ‘architecture of trust,’ but an architecture of distrust.”For farmers, that architecture is painfully tangible. It appears when an extension officer collects data and never returns with advice. It appears when a woman farmer provides detailed harvest figures, only to discover that her non-farming husband is the one approached about a loan.“In many places, including here in Zimbabwe,” Mrs. Tabifor warned, “the experience is one sided: farmers give data, and receive little in return. When this happens, even the best-designed systems will fail the very people they are meant to serve. Good systems will fail good farmers.”Her response is a fundamental shift she calls “Data Democracy”—a rebalancing of who holds power, and who reaps value, in the data ecosystem. “Data Democracy means that the farmer is not merely a ‘data point’ or a ‘source;’ she is a data beneficiary,” Mrs. Tabifor stressed. “Every interaction in which her data is collected should yield immediate agronomic value, market value, or risk management value.”“In other words,” she said, “we must ensure a clear pathway from Data to Knowledge (D2K) for farmers themselves. If a farmer reports her yields or input use, that data should come back to her as something she can understand and apply within her context.In Binga, that D2K pathway is exactly what Sibongile feels has been missing. “They asked me last year, ‘How many cattle do you have? How many bags did you harvest?’” she recalls. “I answered everything. But when I asked how this would help me, they just said, ‘It will help the government and donors to plan.’ That is good—but what about helping me to plan?”For Mrs. Tabifor, simply adding more data and more messages is not the answer. “There is also a danger we must avoid: ‘infobesity,’” she cautioned. “More messages, more dashboards, and more alerts do not automatically translate into better decisions. Overwhelming farmers—and indeed policymakers—with non-actionable information can paralyze decision-making, rather than improve it.”For Sibongile, whose first language is Ndebele and who shares one basic phone with her husband, these design choices are decisive. If information arrives in a language she doesn’t speak, on a device she doesn’t own, in a format she doesn’t grasp, “it might as well not exist,” she says.Mrs. Tabifor highlighted that the digital transition is not neutral: it risks deepening existing inequalities. “We know that women in Zimbabwe, as in many countries, have less access to mobile internet, smartphones, and digital skills,” she emphasized. “If we design data systems that assume universal connectivity or literacy, we unintentionally deepen inequality.”She posed a direct challenge to policymakers: “Do our existing and planned data systems ensure that farmers retain meaningful control over their data—and derive direct value from what they share? What specific measures are we adopting to close the digital gender gap—so that women and other smallholder farmers are equal participants and beneficiaries of data-driven services?”. Practical ideas are already being discussed:Subsidized rural connectivity to cut the cost barrier for low-income households.Targeted support for women’s digital literacy and farmer field schools enhanced with digital tools.Services designed for basic phones—through USSD, SMS, and voice—in local languages.Requirements that public–private partnerships report gender-disaggregated reach and impact.For Sibongile and her neighbors, such changes could be decisive. “If information comes by WhatsApp, we are already out,” she says. “But if it is voice, in isiNdebele, then even my grandmother can benefit.”“Zimbabwe can reimagine the role of the state—not as the exclusive builder of platforms, but as the designer and guarantor of Digital Public Infrastructure- the neutral ‘rails’ upon which many actors can innovate,” Mrs. Tabifor argued. She framed two central policy questions for Zimbabwean and other leaders who participated at the Summit:Are current digital agriculture strategies building yet more siloed apps, or are they purposefully constructing shared, pre‑competitive rails?Within those strategies, have we clearly defined an “architecture of trust”—who is liable, who audits, and who enforces?“Without answers to these questions,” she warned, “any AI-based advisory system, e‑voucher platform, or climate data hub will operate on unstable ground. But with clear, enforceable rules of the game, Zimbabwe can unlock not just pilots, but system-wide transformation.”Mrs. Tabifor’s third major shift spoke directly to the lived experience of climate volatility on Zimbabwean farms: moving from slow, retrospective monitoring to agile data that enables rapid, climate-adaptive policymaking.“Traditional monitoring and evaluation approaches—large baseline surveys, midterm reviews, and endline assessments—are important,” she acknowledged. “But they are often too slow and too expensive to guide real-time decision-making. By the time we learn that a fertilizer subsidy didn’t reach the right farmers, or that a conservation practice isn’t being adopted, the season is over. We are learning after the fact.”“For Zimbabwe, which faces recurrent droughts, cyclone risks, and shifting rainfall patterns,” Mrs. Tabifor said, “the ability to adapt policies within a season through connectivity and digital rails moving “from Compute to Capability” for AI-driven agricultural advice could be transformative.”  “AI will not create value in isolation,” she said. “It needs reliable connectivity, interoperable data systems, ethical safeguards, and human capacity.”Mrs. Tabifor anchored these proposals within a broad human-rights and sustainable development vision. “Zimbabwe’s DPI ecosystem can be designed as an open, interoperable and human-centric system that embeds safety and inclusion at every layer,” she said, aligning it with the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology’s Universal Safeguards: lawfulness, human rights due diligence, transparency, algorithmic accountability, inclusivity, and meaningful public participation. “These are not abstract aspirations; they are actionable choices,” she insisted. The potential benefits touch almost every corner of Zimbabwe’s development agenda. Convened by COSA and funded by the Gates Foundation and GIZ, the Agile Data and DPI Summit 2026 was the first to bring these two powerful ideas—agile data and digital public infrastructure—into one conversation, under one roof.Over four days, innovators, policymakers, researchers, private-sector executives, civil society actors, and farmers worked in mixed groups, sketching how farmer-centred insights and interoperable digital systems could come together to drive real, lasting changes: in land preparation and planting decisions, in access to credit, in drought preparedness, in fairer, more transparent markets.The organizers' aim was explicit, not to produce yet another polished strategy document, but to “break silos, unite diverse communities, and co-design pathways that link data collection, digital systems, and enabling policy.”And always, at the centre of those pathways, stood the figure of the farmer. “The decisions you make now,” Mrs. Tabifor underlined, “will determine whether Zimbabwe’s digital transformation in agriculture is fragmented and fragile, or trusted, inclusive, and climate resilient.”Back in Binga, the practical agility of data and digital public infrastructure will be measured not in conference communiqués, but in what happens the next time someone asks Sibongile for her data. Will they be able to answer the question she has learned to ask: What will I get back?As Mrs. Tabifor put it in perhaps her most resonant line of the summit, “Let us move together, so that every byte of data, every line of code, and every digital rail laid serves the wellbeing and resilience of Zimbabwe’s people, and especially its farmers.”

On 24–25 February 2026, more than 80 representatives from Government, UN agencies, Independent Commissions, Diplomatic Missions, development partners, the private sector, civil society, youth groups, organizations of persons with disabilities, academia and the media gathered at the UN premises in Harare, with colleagues joining online from the UN Development Coordination Office Africa Sub-Regional Office. The objective was not to “sign off” a UN document, but to rigorously test and sharpen an evidence base that can guide Zimbabwe’s development choices to 2030. At the center of the discussion was the “Country Analysis: Zimbabwe” – a comprehensive, data-rich assessment that will underpin the next Zimbabwe United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (ZUNSDCF) for 2027–2030. That Framework will, in turn, support the implementation of the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS 2) for 2026–2030 and Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 of becoming an upper middle-income society, while advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. “This workshop is not about a UN report,” emphasized Mr. Edward Kallon, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Zimbabwe, opening the consultation and validation workshop. “It is about a shared evidence base that all of us can use to make better choices for Zimbabwe’s future.” A Pivotal Moment for Zimbabwe – and for MultilateralismThe timing of the Country Analysis is intentional. This year Zimbabwe has transitioned  from NDS 1 to NDS 2 just as the world enters the second half of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. At the same time, multilateralism is under pressure from geopolitical rivalries, conflict, growing inequality, rising debt, escalating climate impacts, food and energy insecurity and disruptive technological change. “In many quarters, narrow and short-term national interests are being aggressively promoted as the supposed pathway to human progress,” Mr. Kallon cautioned, noting that this often undermines global public goods, international law and the UN Charter. Yet the last eight decades demonstrate that when rules-based cooperation, solidarity and shared responsibility prevail, humanity advances. The UN’s 80th anniversary (UN80) and the reform agenda underway provide an opportunity to revitalize multilateralism so it is more inclusive, representative and effective – particularly for developing countries like Zimbabwe. For Zimbabwe, aligning NDS 2 and Vision 2030 with this renewed multilateralism is not a choice but “a strategic necessity.” The Country Analysis is designed to ensure that this alignment is grounded in facts and capable of mobilizing the right partnerships and financing.Zimbabwe’s Direction is Clear – The Challenge is How to Get ThereThe Country Analysis confirms that Zimbabwe has set a clear direction. Vision 2030 and NDS 2 (2026–2030) spell out the aspiration of a prosperous, empowered upper middle‑income society by 2030, with strong focus on value addition, competitiveness, decent work, climate resilience, innovation and leaving no one and no place behind. Zimbabwe’s vision is consistent with the 2030 Agenda, the African Union’s Agenda 2063, SADC’s Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan and the Paris Agreement. The country is party to core human rights treaties and has made strong normative commitments to an inclusive, green, human rights–based development model.  “There is no ambiguity about the destination,” Mr. Kallon observed. “The question is how to reach it, at speed, in the context of tight fiscal space, climate shocks, and global uncertainty.” The Country Analysis depicts meaningful but uneven progress. Among the gains: Economic growth rebounded to an estimated 6.6% in 2025 and is projected to follow a similar path in 2026, powered by agriculture, mining and remittances.Maternal mortality has fallen sharply—from 960 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2011 to an estimated 212 in 2023–24.Access to improved water sources has risen to 84%, and improved sanitation to 77%, while open defecation has declined.Forest cover and protected areas have seen recent recovery.Public financial management and budget transparency have improved, with Zimbabwe scoring 63/100 on the 2023 Open Budget Survey—among the stronger performances in the region.At the same time, the analysis highlights persistent challenges. Youth unemployment remains high, with many people absorbed into informal, low-productivity and low-protection employment. Gender inequality is entrenched with nearly one in four adolescent girls experiences teenage pregnancy; about one in three young women were married before age 18; violence against women and girls is widespread; and women carry a disproportionate burden of unpaid care work. Persons with disabilities, older persons, rural communities, residents of informal settlements, migrants and other groups still face structural barriers to services, participation and decent work. Zimbabwe has advanced, but large segments of the population and certain regions risk being left behind. Intentional, sustained efforts are required to close these gaps to achieve Vision 2030 and the SDGs. Interlocking Systemic ChallengesA distinctive strength of the Country Analysis is its treatment of systemic, interconnected challenges rather than isolated issues. It identifies feedback loops that cut across the SDG pillars of People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership, including: Poverty–Informality Trap: Poverty and limited formal employment push people into informal livelihoods. Low productivity and a narrow tax base then constrain public investment in health, education and social protection, reinforcing poverty and undermining human capital. Climate–Agriculture–Food Security Loop: Increasing droughts, floods and cyclones—projected to cost up to 5% of GDP annually by 2050—hit rain-fed agriculture, drive food insecurity and malnutrition, and erode households’ and the State’s capacity to invest and adapt. Debt and Financing Constraint Loop: A heavy public and publicly guaranteed debt burden, including arrears, restricts access to concessional finance, crowds out social and development spending and keeps growth volatile.Stakeholders at the workshop underscored how these loops shape every aspect of development—from climate resilience and energy security to youth employment, social cohesion and the capacity to mobilize and manage development finance. Participants also called for deeper analysis of: The wider structural and regional drivers of informality, including de‑industrialization and shifting labour patterns.The opportunity costs of high debt and the trade-offs between debt service and domestic investment.Environmental impacts of mining, agriculture and industry, particularly water and groundwater pollution.The links between extractive industries, land rights and human rights.Geopolitical risks—from sanctions to global energy and mineral markets—and what they mean for a just transition.Some participants observed that Zimbabwe is often “strong on analysis but weaker on implementation,” citing fragmented institutional arrangements, under‑investment in systems and coordination, and limited use of data for decision-making. Five Acceleration Pathways: From Risk to OpportunityIn response, the draft Country Analysis proposes five interconnected “acceleration pathways” to help shift Zimbabwe from systemic risks to virtuous cycles. These pathways will shape the Theory of Change and strategic priorities of the 2027–2030 Zimbabwe UN Cooperation Framework: Invest in Climate-Smart Agriculture and Renewable Energy: To break the climate–food–livelihoods loop, stabilize food systems, increase productivity and build resilience—especially in rural areas where 61% of Zimbabweans live. This would also position Zimbabwe as a regional leader in green energy and sustainable value chains. Stakeholders stressed aligning these investments with the evolving legal and policy landscape, including the Climate Change Management Bill and environmental and energy legislation. Facilitate the Transition to Formality: To raise productivity, broaden the tax base, improve working conditions, and expand access to finance and social protection for micro, small and medium enterprises and cross-border traders—many of whom are women and youth. Participants advocated shifting from “enforcement-first” to “incentive-first” approaches, embedding formalization within wider tax, regulatory and market reforms that reward productivity and competitiveness, not just compliance. Resolve Debt and Arrears, and Catalyze Innovative Finance: To restore fiscal space, reopen access to concessional finance and scale up investment in infrastructure, human capital and climate adaptation. This includes using innovative instruments such as blended finance, SDG-linked and green bonds, and diaspora investment vehicles, framed by an Integrated National Financing Framework and the UN’s Joint Partnerships and Resource Mobilization Strategy. Stakeholders requested clearer comparisons with other countries, more detailed estimates of financing volumes and sources for a green and just transition, and a stronger focus on governance and investor confidence. Strengthen Gender Equality and Inclusive Governance: To tackle the root causes of gender inequality and violence against women and girls, and to ensure meaningful participation of women and young people in decision‑making. This pathway also involves widening civic space, bolstering independent oversight institutions, and aligning laws, policies and budgets with human rights standards—while ensuring these are effectively implemented. Participants highlighted the need to view extractives governance, land rights and decent work consistently through this lens. Enhance Human Capital and Social Protection: To halt and reverse the erosion of skills and health by building stronger, better‑financed education and health systems and comprehensive social protection. This pathway underpins all others, ensuring people survive, learn, thrive and are able to sustain economic and governance reforms over time.Threaded through each pathway is the “Leave No One Behind” (LNOB) principle. The Country Analysis and the consultation repeatedly returned to core questions: Who benefits? Who is excluded? What must change—legally, financially, institutionally and culturally—for every person, in every part of the country, to share in progress? The consultation itself was integral to validating and refining the analysis. Stakeholders raised cross-cutting issues that the UN Country Team committed to integrate, including strengthening risk analysis, financing strategies and governance dimensions in the final Country Analysis. From Evidence to Action: Implications for the Next Zimbabwe UN Cooperation FrameworkFor the UN in Zimbabwe, the validated Country Analysis is the cornerstone of the next Cooperation Framework. It carries several implications for how the UN will engage between 2027 and 2030: More Coherent, Integrated Support: Working as a unified UN Development System across mandates and agencies to back systemic, multi-sectoral solutions, rather than fragmented, stand‑alone projects. Deeper Engagement on Macro and Structural Issues: Complementing community-level resilience and service delivery work with stronger support on debt sustainability, financing, macroeconomic stability, governance and institutional reform. Strategic Partnerships with the Private Sector and Diaspora: Engaging these actors not only as financiers but as innovators and partners in trade, investment promotion, value chain development and institutional capacity building. Stakeholders urged a pivot towards long-term, cross-sector partnerships grounded in “partnerships, trade and investment,” each with clear financing pathways. Centering Women, Youth and Marginalized Groups: Ensuring that women, young people, persons with disabilities and other marginalized populations are at the heart of programme design and implementation, not simply participants in consultations.The workshop also emphasized the pivotal role of local authorities in local economic development, service provision and implementation of the five pathways, with a call to explicitly recognize and empower them within the Cooperation Framework. A Shared Choice About Zimbabwe’s FutureIn reflecting on three possible futures—a stalled transition, fractured resilience, or a green and digital leap—participants converged around one message: the Country Analysis clarifies Zimbabwe’s options, but it does not choose among them. Realizing the most ambitious and inclusive pathway is a shared responsibility: Government provides vision, policy coherence and accountable institutions through NDS 2 and Vision 2030.Parliament and independent commissions ensure oversight and protect rights.The private sector invests responsibly, innovates and creates decent work.Civil society, communities and the media amplify voices, safeguard civic space and promote accountability.Regional and international partners, including International Financial Institutions, support debt resolution, climate action and long‑term investment.The UN remains a reliable, principled, evidence-driven partner, using its convening power and technical expertise to turn analysis into concrete action.In his closing remarks at the end of the day‑and‑a‑half validation workshop, Bishop Charles Masunungure, Board Member of the National Association of Non-Governmental Organizations, commended the UN for consistently convening diverse partners around the sustainable development agenda. He called for sustained engagement as the process moves from analysis to strategic prioritization, and on to the development and eventual implementation of the next Zimbabwe UN Cooperation Framework.“As UN Resident Coordinator, I commit that the UN Country Team will use this analysis to sharpen our support, to advocate for bold yet realistic reforms, and to stand with the Government of Zimbabwe as it works to transform systemic challenges into systemic opportunities,” pledged Mr. Kallon. The consultation closed with a call for candid engagement and continuous dialogue. Stakeholders were invited to keep challenging, enriching and owning the analysis—so that the Cooperation Framework that follows is not simply a UN document, but a shared roadmap to support the Government and people of Zimbabwe in making sustainable development a lived reality for every person, in every part of the country, by 2030.