Staff Writer 
By Tinashe Manzungu
ZIMBABWE’S journey towards becoming an upper-middle-income economy by 2030 will ultimately be measured by what we build and deliver: decent homes, reliable roads, modern schools and hospitals, functioning water and sanitation systems, energy infrastructure and productive industrial facilities.
Our national ambitions are clear. The challenge before us is to establish sustainable financing and implementation systems capable of turning those ambitions into visible development.
Infrastructure is not simply a cost to the nation. It is an economic catalyst. A well-designed road opens markets, reduces transport costs and attracts investment. A serviced residential development creates demand across the construction value chain, generates employment and expands the municipal revenue base. Reliable energy and water systems improve productivity and strengthen Zimbabwe’s competitiveness.
The road to 2030 must therefore be supported by a deliberate national infrastructure-financing strategy.
Moving beyond traditional financing
Government cannot finance the country’s entire infrastructure requirement from the national budget alone. Fiscal resources must continue supporting essential public services, social protection and other national priorities.
Zimbabwe must consequently mobilise capital from pension funds, insurance companies, banks, development finance institutions, diaspora investors, private developers and international partners.
Public-private partnerships should become a central part of this approach. However, partnerships must be properly structured, commercially viable and supported by transparent procurement and predictable regulatory processes.
The private sector is ready to invest, but capital naturally moves towards projects where the risks, responsibilities and anticipated returns are clearly defined. Government must create an environment in which serious investors and contractors can plan beyond the next payment cycle.
Zimbabwe should develop a transparent national pipeline of bankable infrastructure projects. Each project must have clearly defined land rights, feasibility studies, environmental approvals, financing structures, implementation timelines and revenue or repayment mechanisms.
A project becomes investable when uncertainty is reduced.
Housing must be approached as economic infrastructure
Housing should not be treated only as a social obligation. It is a productive economic sector that supports contractors, architects, engineers, manufacturers, transporters, financial institutions and thousands of small and medium enterprises.
The housing deficit cannot be addressed by constructing complete houses through public funds alone. Greater attention must be given to serviced land, bulk infrastructure and affordable long-term financing.
Government, local authorities and private developers should collaborate in opening new land for development and installing roads, water, sewerage, drainage and electricity. Families, housing cooperatives, employers and financial institutions can then participate in the progressive construction of homes within properly regulated settlements.
This approach allows limited public resources to unlock much larger volumes of private investment.
Land can also be used more strategically. Properly structured land-for-infrastructure arrangements can enable contractors and investors to develop public infrastructure in exchange for transparently valued and legally transferable development rights.
Such arrangements must be subjected to independent valuation, clear performance conditions and strong public accountability. When properly governed, land becomes productive capital rather than a dormant asset.
Mobilising local institutional capital
Zimbabwe’s pension funds and insurance companies hold long-term savings that are naturally suited to long-term infrastructure investment. Yet these resources cannot be deployed responsibly without investable instruments and adequate protection.
Infrastructure bonds, municipal bonds, housing bonds and project-specific investment vehicles can create a bridge between institutional capital and national development.
These instruments must be supported by credible project preparation, transparent governance, ring-fenced cash flows and effective monitoring. Where appropriate, Government can provide targeted guarantees or credit enhancements without assuming every commercial risk.
Local authorities must also strengthen their financial and institutional capacity. Municipalities with reliable revenue collection, audited accounts and transparent development plans will be better positioned to attract investment and issue infrastructure-backed instruments.
Unlocking diaspora participation
Zimbabwe’s diaspora represents more than a source of remittances. It is a significant pool of capital, expertise and international networks.
We require secure and professionally managed investment products that allow Zimbabweans abroad to invest directly in housing and infrastructure. Diaspora housing bonds, verified property platforms and foreign-currency investment vehicles can mobilise substantial resources.
Trust will be decisive. Diaspora investors must have confidence that their money is protected, projects are genuine, progress can be independently verified and property rights will be respected.
Technology can help provide real-time construction updates, secure payment systems and transparent documentation. However, technology must be supported by strong institutions and enforceable contracts.
Strengthening the domestic construction industry
Zimbabwe cannot achieve its infrastructure ambitions while weakening the contractors expected to undertake the work.
Delayed payments, price volatility, inadequate project preparation and contracts that place excessive risk on contractors have contributed to business failures and incomplete projects. Procurement systems must move beyond selecting the lowest initial price and place greater emphasis on technical capacity, financial sustainability and whole-life value.
Contractors must be paid on time. Where projects are affected by inflation or currency movements, contracts should contain fair and transparent price-adjustment mechanisms. There must also be greater enforcement against briefcase companies that win tenders without the equipment, skills or financial capacity to perform.
At the same time, local contractors must improve governance, financial management, and quality control and project-delivery systems. We must earn the confidence of both Government and investors through performance.
A deliberate contractor-development programme is also required to help emerging firms acquire equipment, obtain affordable guarantees and participate meaningfully in major national projects.
Developing an infrastructure bank
Zimbabwe should seriously consider establishing a specialised infrastructure and housing development bank or strengthening an existing institution to perform this role.
Such an institution could prepare projects, mobilise blended finance, issue infrastructure bonds and provide long-term funding to qualifying public and private developments.
Commercial banks largely depend on short-term deposits and cannot always provide the patient capital required by projects that may take 10 to 20 years to generate returns. A dedicated development-finance institution would help close this gap.
From announcements to execution
The remaining years to 2030 demand urgency, coordination and discipline.
Zimbabwe does not suffer from a shortage of ideas or opportunities. Our central challenge is converting plans, land and policy commitments into financed and completed projects.
Every major infrastructure project should have a clear funding model, responsible implementing institution, procurement timetable, delivery schedule and public monitoring framework. Progress must be measured through completed roads, serviced stands, functioning water systems, connected homes and operational public facilities—not merely through announcements.
The public sector must provide policy certainty and accountability. Financial institutions must develop suitable long-term products. Contractors must deliver quality and value. The private sector must commit capital and innovation. Citizens and communities must also be included as participants and beneficiaries.
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.
Zimbabwe possesses the land, human capital, natural resources, construction capacity and entrepreneurial energy required to transform its infrastructure landscape. What is now needed is an integrated financing system that converts these strengths into development.
Our national vision will become meaningful when it is reflected in the everyday lives of our people: when families have dignified homes, businesses have dependable infrastructure and communities can access clean water, energy, transport, education and healthcare.
That is the road we must finance, build and travel together towards 2030.
Manzungu is President of the Zimbabwe Building Contractors Association and a business leader in the construction, infrastructure and housing-development sectors
