GDP race emerges as new frontier

Zimbabwe is entering a new phase of economic governance in which provincial performance will increasingly be measured through Gross Domestic Product (GDP), as the Government intensifies efforts to accelerate Vision 2030 targets.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa made the remarks on Friday during the commissioning of the 10MW New Glovers Solar Power Plant in Munyati, Kwekwe, saying provinces must begin competing on economic output and development indicators.

"We are entering an era where we shall compare GDP growth of each province," said the President, urging provinces to fully exploit their resource bases to drive industrialisation and growth.

The solar project, developed under a partnership between the Public Service Pension Fund (51 percent stake) and New Glovers Solar, is part of a broader renewable energy expansion strategy. The plant is expected to eventually generate 110MW, with the first 10MW already feeding into the national grid.

Equipped with 18 600 solar panels, 31 inverters, two smart transformers and a 6km transmission line, the project is among the early beneficiaries of the Government Project Support Agreement Framework designed to improve financing certainty and investor confidence.

President Mnangagwa said the project demonstrated the success of public-private collaboration and the Government's commitment to fast-tracking infrastructure development under the 100-day cycle programme.

"The completion of this plant within record time reflects the discipline, efficiency, coordination, and commitment to results that has become normal through the Second Republic," he said.

He added that Zimbabwe aims to become a clean energy-driven economy by 2030, with provinces expected to accelerate value addition and beneficiation of local resources.

"In 2030, Zimbabwe will be the first country in the world to have a clean energy economy," he said.

Economic analysts say the shift effectively reframes provinces as competing economic units rather than purely administrative regions, with implications for investment attraction, industrial development and infrastructure delivery.

Analyst George Nhepera said the model would encourage provinces to focus on measurable growth drivers such as investment flows, financial inclusion and industrial projects.

Wendy Mpofu added that the approach could introduce provincial benchmarking, pushing regions to compete on productivity and readiness for investment.

"If implemented, provinces will become investment territories competing on productivity, infrastructure readiness, and industrial output," she said.

The policy direction marks one of the clearest signals yet of a decentralised growth strategy aimed at repositioning Zimbabwe's economy through regional competitiveness.