By Elishamai A Ziumbwa
The government is stepping up efforts to address youth unemployment and economic exclusion with the launch of a new National Youth Empowerment Strategy to be unveiled by President Emmerson Mnangagwa later this month.
The strategy will be introduced during the National Youth Empowerment Symposium 2025 scheduled for 21–22 October at the Cultural Show Grounds in Harare.
The event will run under the theme “Empower the Youth, Secure the Future.”
Addressing journalists in Harare, Youth Empowerment Minister Tinotenda Machakaire said the initiative would serve as a national blueprint for youth development, job creation and entrepreneurship support.
Machakaire said the plan was developed in response to alarming levels of youth unemployment.
Citing a 2024 labour survey by Zincite, he revealed that about 2.3 million young people nearly half of the country’s youth population are not in education, employment or training.
“These figures are a wake-up call because we cannot afford to leave our youth idle when they hold the key to the country’s economic transformation,” Machakaire said.
The strategy, he added would align the efforts of government ministries, the private sector and development partners to create more coherent and effective youth programmes.
The symposium will bring together more than 200 youth-led enterprises and 100 institutions including government ministries, financial institutions and development agencies to showcase opportunities and support mechanisms for young people.
According to Machakaire, the platform will also give young innovators a chance to network and learn from peers and mentors.
“We want to create strong linkages between young entrepreneurs, financiers, mentors and markets. Our goal is to help young people formalise their businesses, expand production and create jobs,” he said.
President Mnangagwa is expected to close the two-day event by officially launching the National Youth Empowerment Strategy which Machakaire described as the start of a new coordinated approach to youth inclusion in the economy.
“This event marks the beginning of a movement that will shape how Zimbabwe supports its young people from training and mentorship to access to finance and markets,” he said.
