How a focused approach to export promotion can accelerate Zimbabwe's post-conflict reconstruction

Abstract

Zimbabwe, like many countries that have emerged from a protracted period of conflict, is slowly putting the pieces in place to turn its economy around. But many challenges are presenting themselves, not least of which is how to devise a workable strategy to boost Zimbabwe's exports in the face of ever-shifting market conditions and competitive forces. This paper explains the rationale for and methodology used in the application of a Decision Support Model (DSM) for Zimbabwe, a market selection tool that uses a sequential filtering system to identify high-potential export opportunities. The results of this application - which reveal the most promising export opportunities for Zimbabwe should form the basis of a new strategy to re-focus and fast-track Zimbabwe's export promotion effort, and once again make exports one of the central pillars of the Zimbabwean economy.