Diaspora youth as productive participants of Vision 2030

**Farai Nyakudya **

For young Zimbabweans living in the United Kingdom, the question before us is no longer simply: What job can I find in Britain? The bigger question is: How can I use my skills, networks, resources and international experience to build my own future while contributing to Zimbabwe’s development?

That is the question at the centre of my work with Zimbabwean youths in the UK.

My responsibility is to help build a practical bridge between Zimbabwean youth in the diaspora and the economic opportunities being created through the country’s development agenda.

Zimbabwe has set itself a clear national destination through Vision 2030, the foundation of an empowered, prosperous and modernised society in which citizens are expected to participate meaningfully in economic development. Young people cannot be spectators of that vision. They must be among its principal beneficiaries, entrepreneurs, investors, innovators and employers.

And importantly, that includes Zimbabwean youth living outside the country’s borders.

Vision 2030 cannot become a reality through Government alone. It requires participation from the private sector, communities, entrepreneurs, professionals and the Zimbabwean diaspora.

This is where the National Youth Development Strategy 2026–2030 becomes particularly important.

The strategy emphasises youth entrepreneurship, income-generating projects, skills development, business incubation, access to finance, partnerships, digital resources, market access and the formalisation and growth of youth-owned enterprises. For diaspora youth, this creates an important opportunity.

The fact that a young Zimbabwean lives in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Coventry or elsewhere in the United Kingdom should not automatically exclude them from participating in Zimbabwe’s economic development.

We should always ask what these young people bring to Zimbabwe, and also what opportunities they can access. These could be capital, professional expertise, technology, access to international markets or even mentorship.

There are also lots of opportunities across a wide range of sectors spanning agriculture and agribusiness. Agriculture presents opportunities far beyond traditional farming. Young people can participate in commercial production, irrigation, mechanisation, agro-processing, packaging, cold storage, logistics, distribution, agricultural technology and export markets.

A young person in the UK does not necessarily have to return to Zimbabwe to participate.

They can invest in an agricultural project, partner with a producer, provide technical expertise, assist with international marketing or help establish access to overseas markets.

The objective is to move from simply exporting raw products towards building businesses throughout the agricultural value chain.

Also, Zimbabwe’s mineral resources create opportunities not only for mining companies, but for businesses supporting the entire mining ecosystem. Young Zimbabweans can participate in engineering, equipment supply, transportation, technology, environmental services, processing, financial services and other ancillary industries.

A UK-based engineer may have expertise that can be applied to a Zimbabwean project. A technology entrepreneur can develop solutions for the mining industry. An investor can partner with legitimate businesses. The opportunity is to participate in Zimbabwe’s mineral economy while supporting the national objective of value addition and beneficiation.

Another sector yearning for the critical hands of the youth in the diaspora is tourism. For young people, tourism creates opportunities in hospitality, transport, digital marketing, photography, film, events, travel technology, tour operations and cultural enterprises.

The UK diaspora is strategically positioned to help market Zimbabwe to international audiences. A young Zimbabwean living in Britain can, therefore, become part of the tourism value chain without necessarily relocating permanently to Zimbabwe.

The digital economy presents one of the greatest opportunities for diaspora youth. Technology now allows young Zimbabweans to build businesses that operate across borders.

Software development, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, fintech, digital marketing, graphic design, e-commerce, online services and business-process outsourcing all provide opportunities. This is also where skills transfer becomes particularly powerful.

A young Zimbabwean working in technology in London can mentor a young developer in Harare. A cybersecurity professional can train others. A digital entrepreneur can establish a business with teams operating in Zimbabwe. In this sector, the diaspora’s knowledge can be as valuable as its capital.

Diaspora youth can also explore legitimate Government-supported initiatives through the appropriate official channels. The principle must always be due diligence first.

Young people must verify opportunities directly with the responsible Government institution or local authority and avoid intermediaries promising access to Government programmes for a fee.

Our responsibility as youth leaders and organisers in the diaspora is to ensure that young people know there are programmes that exist and their input is crucial.

More importantly, they must understand how they work, who qualifies, what documentation is required, where applications are made and how businesses can become investment-ready.

We want to connect young Zimbabweans in the UK to legitimate economic opportunities in Zimbabwe. One area I believe we must strengthen is direct engagement between Zimbabwean Government ministries and young people in the diaspora. Young people need to hear directly from the institutions responsible for creating and implementing empowerment programmes.

We, therefore, want to see more Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Government departments, agencies and private-sector institutions engaging Zimbabwean youth in the United Kingdom. We want young people to be able to ask direct questions on available opportunities, how they submit their papers and ultimately how they can transfer their skills. These engagements can transform information into action.

The work being done to empower Zimbabwe’s young people must also be recognised. Under the leadership of President Mnangagwa, the Second Republic has placed youth empowerment, skills development, entrepreneurship and economic participation firmly within the national development agenda.

The President’s broader Vision 2030 agenda requires young Zimbabweans to become productive participants in the transformation of the country. The responsibility now is to ensure that young people have the tools, information and platforms to participate.

I also recognise the work of the Minister of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training and ZANU PF National Secretary for Youth Affairs, Cde Tino Machakaire, whose portfolio sits at the heart of this youth empowerment agenda.

The Ministry’s responsibility extends beyond vocational training. It encompasses entrepreneurship, youth funds, skills development, innovation, partnerships and mechanisms for young people to participate in the economy. As diaspora youth, we welcome that direction. But our role is to ensure that the opportunities being created in Zimbabwe reach young Zimbabweans wherever they are.

Leaving no one and no place behind must include the Zimbabwean youth in the diaspora.

That is the mindset required to realise Vision 2030. The journey towards an empowered and prosperous Zimbabwe will not be completed by Government alone. It requires citizens who are prepared to participate. As young Zimbabweans in the UK, we are ready to play our part.

We are not outside Zimbabwe’s development story. We are part of it. “Nyika Inovakwa neVene Vayo”.

Cde Nyakudya is the ZANU PF UK District Secretary for Youth Affairs. He was talking to Zimpapers Politics Hub’s Gibson Nyikadzino.