First published in 1994, this volume’s seeks to evaluate the impact of trade restrictions and other forms of government intervention on the development of manufacturing industries in Zimbabwe in the 1980s. The study focuses on the period after independence in Zimbabwe up to 1989. The emphasis of the study is on (a) the extent and levels of effective protection afforded the industries by the system and (b) the efficiency of all industries created by the system of protection. This research seeks to assess the extent of protection created by managed trade and other forms of government intervention, and the resultant efficiency of manufacturing sector industries, using single period effective rate of protection (ERP) and domestic resource cost (DRC) estimates. The aim is to show the structure of incentives and efficiency implications of intervention for sample firms and the whole manufacturing sector.
Small Sub-Saharan African countries are facing difficult times trying to accelerate their economic growth while at the same time attempting to liberalize their economies. For many, independence has brought political freedom without concomitant economic and social improvement for their indigenous populations. Zimbabwe fits this description and while it has made significant strides in educating its populations and distributing some agricultural land, it still lags in modernizing its manufacturing industries which survived for many years with little or no capital investment and restricted access to imports. This study, based on a detailed analysis of the results of a survey of manufacturing firms in selected industries, shows the origin of the technologies they have mastered, the use made of external and domestic sources of technology, the skills being applied, their training and other needs, as well as the policies that could favourably affect future industrial development in Zimbabwe.
In the early years of European colonisation, mining and agriculture were the bases of the Rhodesian colonial economy and manufacturing was virtually non-existent. This study traces the origins and early development of the sector in the inter-war years and its rapid growth during the second world war and the Central African Federation years. It also analyses the fortunes of the manufacturing industry in the troubled Unilateral Declaration of Independence years when international economic sanctions and an escalation of and debilitating war of liberation threatened the sector. Finally the book examines developments in the post-colonial period up to, and including, the years of the Economic Structural Adjustment Programme of the 1990s.
In Zimbabwe, trade has been a driver of economic growth, rising incomes, and progressive empowerment of Zimbabweans through rising standards of living and the promise of better jobs. Since 1980, through good years and bad years, increases in exports have been positively associated with increases in national income. Zimbabwe's location and resource base, together with a low-cost but relatively well educated labor force, have endowed it with a naturally high trade ratio built on a diversified base that facilitates using trade as an engine of growth. While trade volumes have rebounded smartly from the deep recession of 2007-2008, these do not offset other worrisome longer-term trends: • Export growth during the last decade has been lacklustre and failed to drive high growth. • Agricultural exports, other than tobacco, have lost their once dominant role in the region, and are no longer a source of diversification. • Manufacturing has withered in a continuing secular decline. • Zimbabwe’s export basket has become less diversified and more dependent on a narrow range of mineral and, to a lesser extent, agricultural products. In short, exports have become less diversified, less-technologically sophisticated, and less labor-intensive - and ever more dependent on a few large mining activities to provide foreign exchange and employment. This report traces the roots of this poor performance to several policy issues: poor predictability of macroeconomic policy and economic governance has created an unfavorable climate for private investment and trade; a tariff structure that dampens export profitability; industrial policies - indigenization policy in particular - that undermine investor confidence and inhibits private investment; and finally, competition-limiting policies toward services that limit connectivity of Zimbabweans and raise trade costs. The good news arising from the study is that the remedies for these policy shortcomings lie in Zimbabwean hands. If the government were to adopt reforms that reconfigure economy-wide incentives and trade and industrial policies, it could promote sustained growth, economic diversification and empowerment of poor people.
Mary Johnson Osirim investigates the business and personal experiences of women entrepreneurs in Harare and Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, to understand their successes, challenges, and contributions to development. These businesswomen work in the microenterprise sector—which is defined as businesses that employ five workers or fewer—with many working as market traders, crocheters, seamstresses, and hairdressers. The women who took part in Osirim's research during the 1990s pursued their businesses, reinvested profits, engaged in innovation, and provided employment, and through their work supported households and extended family and social networks. Osirim finds that, despite major problems, the Zimbabwean businesswomen maintained their enterprises and their households and managed to contribute in significant ways to their community and national development in the face of an economic structural adjustment program. Osirim also explores the impact of state and non-governmental organizations on small business operations. Enterprising Women in Urban Zimbabwe offers a comprehensive study of women's role as entrepreneurs in the microeconomic sector that shows them as agents during challenging political and economic times.
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in southern Africa, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the west, Zambia to the north, and Mozambique to the east. The country has a population of approximately 14.4 million people, with the majority living in rural areas. Zimbabwe gained its independence from British colonial rule in 1980 and has been governed by the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) since then. Zimbabwe's economy has faced many challenges in recent years, including hyperinflation, a shortage of foreign currency, and political instability. Agriculture is the largest sector of the economy, with the majority of the population engaged in subsistence farming. The country is also rich in minerals such as gold, platinum, and diamonds. Despite its economic struggles, Zimbabwe remains a popular tourist destination, known for its wildlife, natural beauty, and historical landmarks such as Great Zimbabwe, a 15th-century stone city that is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
BRI and International Cooperation in Industrial Capacity: Country Cooperation Guide provides research reports on international production capacity and equipment-manufacturing cooperation of major countries, offering a better understanding of the destination country’s information and its market trend, facilitating decision-making for both domestic and foreign investors.
Over the years, irresponsible business practices have resulted in industrial waste, which is negatively impacting the environment. As a result, it is imperative to develop new solutions to reverse the damage. Collective Creativity for Responsible and Sustainable Business Practice is an authoritative reference source for the latest scholarly research on the elimination of environmental degradation through new discoveries and opportunities provided by collective creativity. Featuring extensive coverage across a range of relevant perspective and topics, such as sustainable business model innovation, social marketing, and education and business co-operatives, this comprehensive and timely publication is an essential reference source for business leaders, managers, academics, and community leaders seeking current research on sustainable management practices.
