President Emmerson Mnangagwa launched the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), Zimbabwe’s second five-year economic blueprint, covering 2026 to 2030. It aims to consolidate the gains of the first strategy and speed progress towards Vision 2030, an upper middle-income society.
Growth drivers. The plan names agro-processing and mineral beneficiation as the main drivers of economic transformation, with average real growth targeted above 5 percent a year.
Industrial policy. Cabinet has approved the Zimbabwe National Industrial Development Policy 2 (2026-2030), which supports NDS2 and aims for diversified, sustainable industrial growth by speeding up investment in manufacturing.
Financing. The Herald reports that an Industrial Development Fund, launched last year, is managed by a venture capital fund on the government’s behalf.
Delivery. Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said NDS2 keeps the structured approach of the first strategy but adds stronger monitoring and evaluation.
What it means for banking
Industrial growth, new investment and a larger manufacturing and agro-processing base all depend on financing, payments and credit. The Herald also reports that the blueprint is designed to expand financial deepening alongside macroeconomic stability and inclusive growth. For banks, the question is how to build digital, data-driven and resilient services that can support that growth. This is the conversation at the Banking Executives Exchange Zimbabwe on 27 November 2026 in Harare, where 30 senior banking leaders will look at the 2026-2028 transformation agenda.
Read the original report: The Herald