By a Correspondent
NEW YORK – President Emmerson Mnangagwa has called on Zimbabweans living abroad to move beyond sending money home and become active investors in the country’s economic transformation, saying the government is now prioritising diaspora investment, skills transfer and technology exchange.
Addressing the Diaspora Engagement Forum in New York, Mnangagwa said Zimbabweans abroad continue to make a significant contribution to the economy through remittances, which now exceed US$2.4 billion annually.
However, he said the relationship between the diaspora and the country should evolve beyond family support and remittances.
“Under my administration, engagements with our citizens in the diaspora is moving from remittances to investment, from individual family support to national transformation, and from the movement of people to the movement of knowledge, technology and capital,” he said.
Mnangagwa said opportunities for diaspora participation exist across key sectors including agriculture, mining, beneficiation, manufacturing, tourism, infrastructure, financial services, renewable energy, health, education and the digital economy.
He encouraged Zimbabweans abroad to pool resources and undertake larger projects that may be beyond the reach of individuals but achievable through collective investment.
The President said government is working to create a more conducive environment for diaspora participation by simplifying bureaucratic processes, modernising passport services, establishing diaspora service centres and facilitating investment projects.
He added that dedicated focal persons have been appointed across ministries and government agencies to respond to diaspora inquiries and support potential investors.
Mnangagwa also highlighted the role of Zimbabweans abroad in contributing skills and expertise to national development, saying the country should no longer view migration through the lens of brain drain.
“We no longer lament brain drain. We have now turned it into brain circulation,” he said.
The President said Zimbabweans working in international hospitals, universities, financial institutions, technology companies and other organisations remain valuable national assets whose knowledge can benefit the country regardless of where they are based.
He said professionals do not need to return permanently to make an impact, citing examples of surgeons remotely training local doctors, engineers advising infrastructure projects, academics collaborating with universities and ICT specialists mentoring young innovators.
“Borders must never be barriers to the movement of global knowledge, expertise and best practice back to our motherland, Zimbabwe,” Mnangagwa said.
The remarks come as government intensifies efforts to attract diaspora investment and leverage the expertise of Zimbabweans living abroad as part of broader economic development initiatives.
