By Patience Gondo
Cabinet has approved the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), a five year blueprint to guide Zimbabwe’s development trajectory from 2026 to 2030, marking a major step in aligning national planning with Vision 2030, the country’s target of becoming a prosperous and empowered upper middle-income economy.
During the 34th post cabinet briefing on Tuesday the Government said the strategy will consolidate achievements recorded under NDS1 while accelerating economic transformation across all sectors to ensure that national development remains on a clear and coordinated path over the next five years.
NDS2 will be driven through ten National Priority Areas covering macro-economic stability, inclusive economic growth, infrastructural development, food security, innovation and human capital development, job creation, youth empowerment, regional development through devolution, social protection, international relations, governance and institutional strengthening.
According to the 34th post cabinet briefing these priorities, coordinated through Thematic Working Groups comprising ministries, departments, agencies, local authorities and the private sector, will position Zimbabwe to meet the development benchmarks set under Vision 2030.
The launch of NDS2 builds on the foundation laid by the National Development Strategy 1, which has guided government policy from 2021 to 2025.
NDS strategies are Zimbabwe’s medium-term national economic blueprints, replacing the Transitional Stabilisation Programme and are designed to stabilise, reform and transform the economy within structured five-year cycles.
While NDS1 focused on stabilisation, infrastructure development, production growth and institutional strengthening, NDS2 moves the country into a consolidation and accelerated transformation phase.
Government said NDS1 delivered significant progress despite global shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic, tightening international financial conditions, geopolitical tensions and climate-related challenges.
The economy recorded strong real GDP growth from the beginning of NDS1, with forecasts showing a projected 6.6 percent growth in 2025 up from 1.7 percent in 2024, supported by a recovery in agriculture, increased mining output and renewed investment in manufacturing.
Cabinet also said improved currency stability following the introduction of the ZiG currency operating alongside the multi-currency system, which contributed to exchange rate stability and restored confidence.
Foreign currency reserves increased sharply during NDS1, rising from US$276 million in April 2024 to more than US$900 million by October 2025, leading the World Bank to rank Zimbabwe first among the top ten countries globally that made significant progress in foreign reserves accumulation.
Infrastructure development also featured prominently, with major projects completed under NDS1, including the Mbudzi (Trabablas) Interchange, expansion of the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, completion of Hwange Units 7 and 8 which added 700 megawatts to the national grid, and extensive road rehabilitation under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme across both rural and urban districts.
Manufacturing sector capacity utilisation improved, agriculture productivity surged, maize and wheat production reached national self-sufficiency, with wheat output exceeding 600 000 tonnes in 2025, and tobacco production reached a record 355 million kilogrammes.
Government said these gains demonstrate economic resilience and provide a strong base from which NDS2 will push the country toward deeper reform and accelerated transformation.
The Government said with NDS1 concluding in 2025, the approval of NDS2 ensures continuity in national planning and implementation as Zimbabwe enters the critical final stretch toward Vision 2030.
The new strategy is expected to prioritise inclusive development, expand economic opportunities, consolidate macro-economic gains and accelerate infrastructure expansion to ensure the country achieves and sustains upper middle-income status by the end of the decade.