Unpacking NDS1, How Zimbabwe Quietly Engineered a Foundation for Transformation

Every country has moments in its development journey where progress is not loud, not dramatic, not wrapped in fancy headlines, but quietly significant. Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy 1 sits firmly in that category.

It was a five year blueprint that stepped in at a time when the nation was balancing multiple pressures, from an unstable economic environment to the global shock waves of a once in a century pandemic.

In many ways, NDS1 was born into turbulence. Yet despite the storms, it delivered a surprising number of grounded successes that now form the backbone of the country’s new phase of development.

As the nation shifts from NDS1 into NDS2, it is important to take an honest look at the wins, the lessons, the frustrations and the areas where the first strategy quietly re-engineered the direction of the national economy. And maybe most importantly, we must ask ourselves how these successes can be strengthened so that the next strategy does not merely continue the work, but magnifies it.

To understand the weight of what worked under NDS1, we must first remember the context.

Zimbabwe stepped into the period of NDS1 with inflation volatility, currency instability, strained public infrastructure, drought cycles and the devastating global outbreak of Covid-19.

It was not a terrain that promised ease. It was a terrain that demanded discipline, reform and resilience. And despite public impatience at times, many of those reforms slowly began to bear fruit.

One of the most critical achievements under NDS1 was the stabilisation of the macroeconomic environment. This was never going to be an overnight miracle. It required a cocktail of measures that were often painful but necessary. The reintroduction of the local currency, the crafting of the foreign exchange auction system, the tightening of monetary policy and the containment of government expenditure gradually eased inflationary pressure.

Stability, even when imperfect and contested, began to take shape.

For a nation that had lived with swings in pricing and currency uncertainty for over a decade, this shift was a major turning point. Investors need predictability. Businesses need planning power. Households need confidence. NDS1 laid the groundwork for that sense of economic foothold, and although there were moments of fluctuation, the broader trajectory leaned toward stabilisation.

That alone made it possible for the rest of the development agenda to take root.

Infrastructural development became another pillar where NDS1 recorded visible, lived results. Road rehabilitation gained momentum through key programmes such as the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme.

Major arteries like the Harare Beitbridge Highway began seeing extensive upgrades after years of delay. These were not symbolic projects. They carried economic meaning. Zimbabwe’s highways facilitate regional trade, support agriculture, connect mining operations to export routes and allow citizens to travel safely.

Restoring them became a statement that Zimbabwe had re-entered a phase of rebuilding.

Energy infrastructure also saw strategic expansion. The completion and commissioning of additional units at Hwange Power Station injected new megawatts into the grid, reducing reliance on costly imports and easing the load shedding, though sparingly, that had frustrated households and industries.

Energy stability is one of the silent foundations of development. Manufacturers cannot operate efficiently without it. Schools and hospitals suffer without it.

NDS1 made sure that energy expansion moved from aspiration to implementation.

Closely linked to this was the growth of the agricultural sector. Agriculture anchors Zimbabwe’s identity. It is the heartbeat of rural economies and the lifeline of national food systems. Under NDS1, the national push toward climate resilience and irrigation development gained traction. Schemes such as Pfumvudza, despite fierce public debate at first, delivered measurable results in improving food production at household level. The expansion of commercial irrigation and support to wheat farmers helped the country achieve record wheat harvests, reducing dependence on imports even during seasons of global supply disruptions.

Food security is never guaranteed, especially in a climate affected region. But NDS1 demonstrated that with coordinated support, modernised farming methods and timely input distribution, communities can cushion themselves against climate shocks.

This is one of the quiet victories that often gets overshadowed by political noise, yet its impact is deeply felt in households that now rely less on food aid and more on their own production.

The success stories under NDS1 were not limited to the economy alone.

Social services received important reinforcement. The Government invested in the health sector at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic strained global supply chains. While many countries struggled to secure vaccines, Zimbabwe managed to roll out an extensive vaccination programme with impressive speed. This helped stabilise the health system and allowed the economy to reopen with reduced fear of mass fatalities.

Health facilities received new equipment, some hospitals were refurbished and the nation’s overall emergency preparedness improved.

Education also saw reform, particularly through the modernisation of the curriculum, the introduction of digital learning programmes and the expansion of technical and vocational training.

The pandemic exposed the vulnerabilities of traditional learning methods, and under NDS1 the country began moving toward technology assisted education.

It is still a work in progress, but it marked the beginning of a long overdue shift into the digital era.

Human capital development remained a strong theme throughout NDS1. The creation and expansion of innovation hubs at universities allowed young Zimbabweans to begin translating their ideas into real products and solutions. These hubs, often described as the birthplaces of the future economy, produced start ups and inventions that demonstrated the nation’s intellectual potential. This aligned Zimbabwe with modern global development models where innovation drives industrial growth.

Another major win under NDS1 was the accelerated implementation of the devolution agenda. For decades, provinces operated with limited financial autonomy, relying almost entirely on central government allocations. NDS1 pushed for the disbursement of devolution funds that allowed local authorities to execute their own development priorities. This led to the construction of clinics, bridges, schools, boreholes and community infrastructure that responded directly to local needs.

Devolution brought a sense of belonging and empowerment to communities that had long felt excluded. It proved that development is most effective when it is localised and when communities have a voice in determining the projects that matter most to them. This achievement under NDS1 laid the groundwork for deeper and more structured devolution expansion under NDS2.

Mining became another sector of growth. With increased exploration, expansion of lithium projects, new platinum investments and improved gold production, the mining sector grew into one of the largest contributors to national revenue. NDS1 aimed to push Zimbabwe toward a one hundred billion dollar mining industry by 2030. While the target remains ambitious, the foundational work achieved in the first phase has set the country on a promising trajectory. The sector attracted new investors and created jobs in communities that once had no formal employment avenues.

International engagement also improved. Zimbabwe’s diplomatic re engagement agenda saw gradual progress, with the nation courting new trade partnerships and investment agreements. Although the global political environment remains complex, NDS1 managed to strengthen ties with economic partners, particularly in Asia and the Middle East. International relations became a tool for development, not merely diplomacy.

Looking across these achievements, one theme becomes clear. NDS1 was not a miracle creating instant prosperity. It was a slow, deliberate, often difficult rebuilding exercise. It focused on restoring systems, modernising infrastructure, stabilising the economy and creating an environment in which real transformation could begin. It was the foundation, not the final product.

Every foundation carries cracks. Some sectors underperformed. Some targets were delayed. Public frustration at times was justified. But any honest editorial analysis must also acknowledge that development is rarely linear. It is messy. It is uncomfortable. It requires long periods of laying bricks before the building becomes visible.

This is why NDS2 now enters the national landscape with a different kind of pressure. It is inheriting a foundation that has been laid. The easy excuse of starting from zero no longer exists. Zimbabwe now expects sharper delivery, quicker results and deeper reforms. And that expectation is fair.

The success stories of NDS1 have created a new standard. They have proven that Zimbabwe can build, can stabilise, can innovate and can grow even under challenging global conditions. They have shown that when policies are pursued consistently, they yield results. That is the spirit that NDS2 must carry forward.

For Zim Global Media News, the role of the editorial voice is to remind the nation that development demands honesty, patience and accountability. It demands that successes be celebrated, not as propaganda, but as national progress that belongs to all citizens. It demands that failures be acknowledged so that strategies can be corrected. And it demands that every Zimbabwean understands their role in shaping the future.

NDS1 gave Zimbabwe a renewed sense of direction. It restored a measure of confidence in national planning. It produced wins that touched homes, communi­ties and industries. As the nation moves into the next strategy phase, the challenge is not to repeat the successes, but to deepen them, expand them and ensure they transform the everyday lives of people across the country.

The story of Zimbabwe’s development is still being written. NDS1 was a strong first chapter. NDS2 now holds the pen.

About The Author