By Mthokozisi Mabhena
THE departure of a son or daughter from the motherland has always been a bittersweet moment. There is pride in their courage, in their quest for better horizons, but there is also the lingering pain of absence, of voices that will no longer echo in the home’s corridors. Yet, to see the migration of Zimbabweans as a loss is to misunderstand the rhythm of progress, the ebb and f l ow of human development. It is to be blinded to the streams of wealth, knowledge and ambition that fl ow back from the very people who have left. Even here in Zimbabwe we have many people from all over the world seeking their fortune in our homeland. In our Vision 2030 quest, our Diaspora is a very important constituency in realising our goals.
The Zimbabwean Diaspora is not a bleeding wound on the national fabric; it is a strategic expansion of our collective potential. Across the continents, in the high-rise offi ces of London, in the bustling markets of Johannesburg, in the innovation hubs of Silicon Valley, and in the vibrant corridors of academia in Australia, Zimbabweans are planting seeds that bear fruit not just for themselves, but for the motherland. Every remittance sent home, every business launched, every skill acquired is a brick in the foundation of a greater Zimbabwe. Last year alone, over two billion US dollars fl owed into Zimbabwe from the sweat of its citizens abroad. These are not faceless statistics; these are school fees paid, homes built, businesses funded, hospital bills settled. These are parents who now have roofs that do not leak when the rains come, siblings who do not go to bed hungry, and dreams that do not perish in the cold grip of fi nancial despair. This is not capital lost; it is capital redirected.
It is the lifeblood of families and, by extension, of the economy. The Diaspora’s value extends far beyond money. To defi ne their worth purely in fi nancial terms is to underestimate the power of intellectual and social capital. Zimbabweans abroad are exposed to global best practices, technological advancements that can transform entire industries back home. They witness effi ciency in transport systems, agricultural revolutions driven by smart technologies, and policy frameworks that encourage entrepreneurship. These are lessons that can be imported, refi ned and adapted to Zimbabwean realities.
The cry of ‘brain drain’ is outdated. It is a relic of a past that saw migration as a permanent rupture, a one-way ticket to detachment. But today, we live in an interconnected world where knowledge is fl uid, and borders are not barriers but bridges. Many Zimbabweans in the Diaspora are not lost to us; they are engaged in a dynamic exchange of ideas and experiences. Through digital platforms, consultancy work, mentorship programmes and business investments, they remain deeply enmeshed in the aff airs of home. They are not deserters; they are ambassadors, gatekeepers of opportunity who can pull others up with them. And consider the networks they create. Zimbabweans abroad do not simply integrate into foreign societies; they build bridges for others to cross.
They introduce local entrepreneurs to global markets, they connect policymakers with international experts, they champion Zimbabwean art, music and culture on grand stages. These are intangible assets that no bank balance can quantify but are invaluable in shaping perceptions and opening doors for national development. If Zimbabwe is to achieve Vision 2030 and become an upper middle-income economy, it cannot aff ord to see its Diaspora as an estranged faction. Instead, it must recognise them as co-architects of that future.
Policies that facilitate investment back home, that encourage skill transfer, that make it easier for returnees to reintegrate and contribute, will turn migration into a strategic advantage rather than a perceived loss. Some nations have mastered this art. India, once plagued by fears of losing its brightest minds, embraced its Diaspora. It cultivated ties, incentivised remittances into productive ventures, and now reaps the rewards of a globally dispersed yet nationally invested people. China, too, leveraged its expatriates, welcoming their expertise in building a manufacturing and technological powerhouse.
These are models Zimbabwe can learn from, refi ning them to suit its unique socio-economic landscape.The journey of a Zimbabwean abroad is a journey of hope, of the quiet determination to succeed not just for personal gain, but for those left behind, for the soil that birthed them, for the future that still calls.
So, let us rewrite the narrative. The Diaspora is not a loss. It is a strategic asset, a human capital investment that, if engaged wisely, will be instrumental in Zimbabwe’s rise. It is the voice of experience, the hand that reaches back, the bridge between what is and what could be. And when, fi nally, many return whether physically or through the impact they make from afar they will not return as strangers, but as the very scaff olding upon which the nation ascends.