Fund Infrastructure, Unlock Zimbabwe’s 2030 Dream

Zimbabwe’s drive towards an upper-middle-income economy by 2030 will require a major shift in how infrastructure and housing projects are financed, with the private sector expected to play a bigger role in bridging the funding gap.

Zimbabwe Building Contractors Association (ZBCA) president Tinashe Manzungu says Government cannot shoulder the country’s growing infrastructure requirements alone and must unlock alternative sources of long-term capital to accelerate development.

Manzungu said pension funds, insurance companies, banks, development finance institutions, diaspora investors and private developers should be brought into a broader financing framework, with public-private partnerships (PPPs) providing a possible vehicle for infrastructure investment.

“Government cannot finance the country’s entire infrastructure requirement from the national budget alone. Zimbabwe must consequently mobilise capital from pension funds, insurance companies, banks, development finance institutions, diaspora investors, private developers and international partners,” he said.

He added: “The private sector is ready to invest, but capital naturally moves towards projects where the risks, responsibilities and anticipated returns are clearly defined.”

Manzungu also urged Government and local authorities to reposition housing as an economic sector rather than viewing it solely as a social obligation, arguing that serviced land and bulk infrastructure could unlock significant private-sector investment.

He identified municipal and housing bonds among the potential instruments that could connect institutional savings with long-term development projects.“Project becomes investable when uncertainty is reduced.

So the road to 2030 will not be built by Government alone, nor can it be financed by one institution or sector. It requires a genuine national partnership,” he said.