Zimbabwe to lure skilled diasporans

Zimbabwe has launched a new initiative aimed at tapping into the country's diaspora skills base to support its industrialisation agenda and reduce reliance on foreign expatriate expertise in emerging sectors.

The programme is part of a broader Government strategy to align human capital development with new economic opportunities in sectors such as petroleum exploration, lithium-ion battery manufacturing and advanced mineral processing.

Speaking after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Government and the Zimbabwe Diaspora Nation Building Initiative (ZDNBI) in Harare, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Skills Audit and Development Ambassador Rudo Chitiga said Zimbabwe's development trajectory depends heavily on mobilising its skilled citizens abroad.

"The role of the Ministry is now to quickly find Zimbabweans in the Diaspora who have those skills and say, 'How can you support our work?'" she said.

Ambassador Chitiga said the country's shift towards value addition, including the ban on raw mineral exports and plans for battery manufacturing, has exposed critical skills gaps that must be addressed urgently.

"We have recently banned the export of raw minerals. And now we are talking about producing batteries (lithium-ion). Do we have skills locally? We don't - but we have Zimbabweans in the Diaspora with those skills," she said.

She warned that without targeted intervention, Zimbabwe's industrialisation drive could become heavily dependent on foreign experts rather than being locally driven.

"All this industrialisation may be expatriate-driven rather than Zimbabwean-driven. We want it to be Zimbabwean-driven," she said.

According to Government estimates, more than three million Zimbabweans with professional and technical skills are currently based in the diaspora across various economic sectors.

The Ministry said it is conducting nationwide skills audits to identify gaps in key industries and match them with Zimbabwean professionals abroad who can contribute either through return migration, remote collaboration or knowledge transfer programmes.

The initiative also aims to ensure diaspora experts play a role in training local professionals to build long-term capacity within Zimbabwe's labour market.

ZDNBI chief executive Dr Paul Matsvai said the agreement marks an important milestone in harnessing diaspora expertise for national development.

He said the organisation is committed to working with Government to connect Zimbabwean professionals abroad with opportunities at home and support skills transfer across strategic sectors.

The partnership is expected to form part of Zimbabwe's broader efforts to accelerate industrialisation, strengthen local participation in high-tech industries and improve competitiveness in global value chains.