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Zimbabwe

Workers inspect an open cast at the Arcadia lithium mine in Goromonzi, Zimbabwe, on Jan. 11, 2022. 

Economics

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Politics

President Mnangagwa's likely re-election portends a continuation of the patronage politics, outdated legislation and regulatory gaps that have long plagued the industry.

Despite Abundant Resources, Zimbabwe's Mining Sector Will Remain Unsteady

A police officer stands in front of an election poster for Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa as he patrols outside a stadium where opposition leader Nelson Chamisa was holding a campaign rally in Marondera, Zimbabwe, on March 12, 2022. 

Corruption, violence and election interference will likely keep the ruling party in power, portending more unrest and a deepening of Zimbabwe's economic crisis.

What to Expect From Zimbabwe's 2023 General Election

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Women sit under U.N.-branded cardboard boxes in Semera, Ethiopia, on Feb. 14, 2022, as they wait to be registered by the authorities at a hotel compound hosting civilians fleeing violence. 

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GBV is often primarily seen as a women’s and human rights issue. But in sub-Saharan Africa, it is also a key constraint to stable (and democratic) governance, economic growth, and lasting peace.

The Geopolitics of Gender-Based Violence in Africa

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A large group of pro-Trump protesters stands on the steps of the U.S. Capitol after storming the building’s grounds on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington D.C. 

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China in Transition

Some adversaries are likely to take new malign actions, while others will use the incident to justify their own destabilizing behavior.

For U.S. Rivals, the Capitol Siege Offers a Window of Opportunity

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2020 Second-Quarter Forecast

Covering an area that spans the entire width of the continent beginning at the Sahara Desert and ending at the southernmost tip of South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to countless cultures, languages, religions, plants, animals and natural resources.

<p>Sub-Saharan Africa is a study in diversity. Covering an area that spans the entire width of the continent beginning at the Sahara Desert and ending at the southernmost tip of South Africa, the region is home to countless cultures, languages, religions, plants, animals and natural resources. It&rsquo;s no surprise that it captured the imagination of Europe&rsquo;s earliest explorers &mdash; and that it continues to capture the imagination of current world powers eager to exploit it. And yet despite the region&rsquo;s diversity, Sub-Saharan African countries have common challenges &mdash; transnational terrorism, rapid population growth, endemic poverty and corruption &mdash; that prevent them from capitalizing on their economic potential. The coming years will be critical for the region, especially as its political institutions mature in a rapidly globalizing world.</p>

2020 Annual Forecast

A man shows a wad of Zimbabwe's new two-dollar notes that he received from a bank in Harare on November 12, 2019. 

The Suitors of Sub-Saharan Africa

With an increasingly cash-strapped and hungry citizenry, the survival of Zimbabwe's current government will hinge heavily on keeping its security forces paid and happy. Though doing so will be no easy feat given the country's depleted reserves.

As Its Economy Worsens, Zimbabwe Teeters on the Edge of Chaos

Old Leaders in a New Africa

2019 Fourth-Quarter Forecast

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While some governments see cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, visually represented in this photo illustration, as a threat, others want to harness the advantages they offer.

A transition is underway as digital currencies move slowly into the mainstream. Some case studies offer clues where the shift is headed and what threats bitcoin, Libra and other systems might pose or what benefits they might bring.

The Future of Cryptocurrencies

2019 Third-Quarter Forecast

Guidance

Cyclone Idai made landfall in Mozambique on March 14 -- leaving behind it a path of catastrophic destruction that has so far taken the lives of an estimated 750 people across southern Africa. 

Energy

Commodities: A Cautionary Tale

The aftermath of the worst-ever natural disaster to hit the southern hemisphere risks exacerbating already dire economic and political situations in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa. 

The Geopolitical Toll of Cyclone Idai in Southern Africa

The Post-Apartheid Era Ends

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has begun making decisions to spur foreign direct investment in the mining industry. 

Environment, Science & Technology

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa is working to mitigate his country's foreign currency crisis and facilitate future economic growth, and making the mining sector more appealing to foreign investors is a crucial part of his strategy.

Zimbabwe's Mining Sector Is Moving in a Pro-Business Direction

Agriculture

Zimbabwean election watchdogs urged the government to implement electoral reforms to ensure that the August elections are free, fair and credible, New Zimbabwe reported on May 26.

Zimbabwe: Election Watchdogs Say Reforms Needed Before August Election

Zambia

Insufficient water levels in the Kariba dam, the world’s largest man-made reservoir located on the Zambezi river, is causing hours-long power cuts in Zambia and Zimbabwe, Radio France International reported Dec. 11.

Zambia, Zimbabwe: Kariba Dam Water Levels at Historic Low, Causing Power Cuts 

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa reimposed a COVID-19 lockdown and mandatory quarantine for all travelers, BBC reported Nov. 30.

Zimbabwe: President Reimposes COVID-19 Lockdown 

COVID-19

United Arab Emirates

Zimbabwe has approached the United Arab Emirates seeking support to help it address its ongoing economic woes, according to a Jan. 27 report by Bloomberg.

Zimbabwe: Government Approaches UAE for Economic Support, Report Says

Zimbabwe Mining Development Corp. has reportedly lost a final appeal at the International Court of Arbitration over a 2014 ruling, allowing the plaintiffs to seize almost $70 million in company assets, Bloomberg reported Dec. 18.

Zimbabwe: State Mining Company Loses Arbitration Court Appeal

Zimbabwean authorities have arrested Marry Mubaiwa, the wife of the country's vice president, on corruption charges, Reuters reported Dec. 15.

Zimbabwe: Vice President's Wife Arrested on Graft Charges

Civil servants in Zimbabwe held a nationwide strike on Nov. 6 to demand pay increases amid skyrocketing inflation in the country, The New York Times has reported.

Zimbabwe: Government Workers Strike for More Pay

Zimbabwe's public sector workers have said they will be unable to report for work -- which amounts to a de facto strike -- amid an ongoing devaluation of their wages, The East African reported Oct. 15.

Zimbabwe: Public Sector Workers Hold De Facto Strike Amid Wage Devaluation

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Zimbabwe is a landlocked southern African country surrounded by Mozambique to the east, South Africa to the south, Botswana and Namibia to the west, and Zambia to the north. The country traces its roots to the 13th century Kingdom of Zimbabwe, which covered roughly the same geographical area as the country does today.    The kingdom capitalized on the then-growing and lucrative ivory and gold trade from the African interior to Arab traders on the Swahili coast to grow into an important force on the continent for more than two centuries. However, while the legacy of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe is notable, the country's recent history has been profoundly marked by European colonization and the subsequent period when Zimbabwe was known as Rhodesia. Indeed, the independence of Botswana and other British colonies and the ending of Portuguese colonialism in neighboring Mozambique placed immense pressure on white minority rule in Rhodesia and led to eventual black majority rule.    Today, Zimbabwe's 16 million citizens remain mostly rural. Harare, the capital, is far and away the seat of political and economic power. Since independence, Zimbabwe has struggled at times to manage its ethnic diversity, with a notable massacre occurring in 1983. Moreover, the country's liberation party, the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front, has dominated the levers of power for decades. The challenge going forward for Zimbabwe is whether it can sufficiently reform its broken political and economic systems without sparking destabilizing unrest. In addition, Harare seeks to diversify its foreign relations after years of reliance on Chinese and South African support to gain more foreign investment to grow its economy. However, after years of reneging on promises and instilling investor distrust, the endeavor will prove an especially difficult one.

A picture of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. 

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South African and African National Congress President Cyril Ramaphosa at the ANC's 110th anniversary celebrations Jan. 8, 2022, at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane. Divisions within the ANC are likely to inhibit Ramaphosa's ability to pass structural economic reforms but in our baseline scenario, South Africa will avoid a major debt crisis before 2024.

SITUATION REPORTS

Zimbabwe: Election Watchdogs Say Reforms Needed Before August Election

Zambia, Zimbabwe: Kariba Dam Water Levels at Historic Low, Causing Power Cuts

Zimbabwe: President Reimposes COVID-19 Lockdown

Zimbabwe: Government Approaches UAE for Economic Support, Report Says

Zimbabwe: State Mining Company Loses Arbitration Court Appeal

Zimbabwe: Vice President's Wife Arrested on Graft Charges

Zimbabwe: Government Workers Strike for More Pay

Zimbabwe: Public Sector Workers Hold De Facto Strike Amid Wage Devaluation

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