Burkina Faso

Central African Republic

Eritrea

Mali

Somalia

Zimbabwe

Russia

Politics

Russian Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev said Moscow had started shipments of free grain totalling up to 200,000 tons and destined for six African countries, Reuters reported on Nov. 17.

Sub-Saharan Africa: First Shipment of Russian Grain En Route to Burkina Faso and Somalia

China

Economics

The Zimbabwean government awarded Chinese companies licenses in the third quarter of 2023 that come with planned investments of $2.79 billion, mostly in the mining and energy sectors, Bloomberg reported Nov. 1. 

Zimbabwe: China to Invest $2.8 Billion in Lithium, Energy Projects 

South Africa

Census data from South Africa shows that 1.01 million Zimbabweans lived in South Africa in 2022, up from 672,308 in 2011 at an average annual increase of almost 31,000, Bloomberg reported on Oct. 14.

Zimbabwe: Worker Migration Numbers Rise as Economy Struggles

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission announced that incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa won a second term against opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, Africanews reported on Aug. 26.

Zimbabwe: Mnangagwa Clinches Another Term as Opposition Condemns Fraudulent Elections

Electoral authorities in Zimbabwe said fewer than a quarter of polling stations opened on time in the capital Harare due to delays in printing ballot papers, Radio France Internationale reported on Aug. 24.

Zimbabwe: Opposition Alleges Irregularities as Delayed Polls Enter Second Day

Military & Security

Zimbabwe's main opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa, launched his presidential campaign, Reuters reported on July 16.

Zimbabwe: Opposition Leader Launches Presidential Campaign

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the country's main opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa, registered to run for president in the Aug. 23 general election, AP reported on June 21.

Zimbabwe: President, Opposition Figure Register for August Election

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

Assessments

Gabon

Guatemala

Australia

United Kingdom

New Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo (R) and his vice president, Karin Herrera, on Aug. 20 in Guatemala City. In the aftermath of anti-corruption presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo's Aug. 20 runoff win, the attorney general's office sent a letter Aug. 23 to the president of Congress, Shirley Rivera, requesting the suspension of Arevalo's Seed Movement party in a bid to weaken the president-elect.

Energy

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Political Uncertainty in Guatemala, a Potential LNG Strike in Australia

Brazil

Ecuador

India

Supporters of Guatemalan presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo attend a campaign rally in the Central Square in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on Aug. 16, 2023. 

The Weekly Rundown: Lunar Landings, the BRICS Summit and a Host of Elections

Snapshots

Supporters of Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF party attend a campaign rally in Harare, Zimbabwe on Aug. 9, 2023. 

The ruling party appears set on winning the Aug. 23 vote by any means necessary, portending continued corruption and economic stagnation for years to come.

Previewing Zimbabwe's General Election 

Media

Sudan

Argentina

Chile

United States

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Turkey

Germany

France

Ukraine

Afghanistan

Pakistan

Podcasts

Cyber

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Social Issues

What Q3 security risks should companies expect and prepare for?

Essential Geopolitics: An Overview of RANE's Q3 Forecast

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

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

Columns

On Geopolitics

Sub-Saharan Africa

South Sudan

Burundi

Cote d'Ivoire

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Ethiopia

Kenya

Mozambique

Nigeria

Tanzania

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. 

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

Hong Kong SAR, China

North Korea

Iran

Saudi Arabia

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. 

Security

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

Coping With a Nuclear North Korea

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

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

Old Leaders in a New Africa

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

Global Perspectives

Venezuela

Marshall Islands

Contributor Perspectives

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

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. 

The Post-Apartheid Era Ends

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

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

Agriculture

Environment, Science & Technology

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

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. 

SITUATION REPORTS

Sub-Saharan Africa: First Shipment of Russian Grain En Route to Burkina Faso and Somalia

Zimbabwe: China to Invest $2.8 Billion in Lithium, Energy Projects

Zimbabwe: Worker Migration Numbers Rise as Economy Struggles

Zimbabwe: Mnangagwa Clinches Another Term as Opposition Condemns Fraudulent Elections

Zimbabwe: Opposition Alleges Irregularities as Delayed Polls Enter Second Day

Zimbabwe: Opposition Leader Launches Presidential Campaign

Zimbabwe: President, Opposition Figure Register for August Election

Zimbabwe: Election Watchdogs Say Reforms Needed Before August Election

Forecasts

ANALYSES

SECTIONS

Explore

Subscribe

Help & Support