Bulawayo, (New Ziana) – The Higher Education Examination Council (HEXCO) has certified over 33,000 artisans and technicians during the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) period, Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Minister, Frederick Shava has said.
The same period also saw a surge in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics( STEM) enrolment, which reached 44.8 percent of all students, with female representation reaching 33 percent.
Shava said this at the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (ZIMDEF) 2026-2030 strategic planning workshop.
He said the Ministry also managed to register 16 student-led start ups and over 30 intellectual property rights.
NDS 1 ran from 2021 to 2025 and was designed to guide the country toward its Vision 2030 goal of becoming an upper-middle-income society.
“Other projects include the completion of the Midlands State University Law School in Kwekwe and near completion of 14 key infrastructure projects, including the Queen’s Hospital at the University of Zimbabwe, Harare Polytechnic’s Mount Lab Plaza, and student hostels at Manicaland State University of Applied Sciences,” he said.
Shava commended ZIMDEF stewardship during the implementation of NDS1,saying the fund`s prudent financial management and strategic partnerships were instrumental to the ministry`s achievement.
“These are not abstract figures or projects. They are the blueprints of our industrialisation. ZIMDEF has been the indispensable financier turning our vision into concrete and steel, our ideas into certified skills and tangible innovations,” he said.
Shava highlighted that the country`s higher education sector is entering a new era of innovation-led industrialisation, with ZIMDEF set to play a central role in driving skills development, technology transformation, and export-led growth under the forthcoming National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2).
“The fund must now play a pivotal role as the country transitions from NDS1 to NDS2.
“This is not merely a transition of timelines, it is an evolution of our national ambition. As government, we have consistently affirmed that a nation is built by its own. ZIMDEF stands as the cornerstone of that construction,” he said.
Shava also commended ZIMDEF for maintaining unqualified audits for four consecutive years, earning recognition as one of the best-managed state entities.
“That is a resounding declaration of accountability and prudence. There is no need to flip papers to see where ZIMDEF funds have been used, it is all clear and on the table for us to see,” he said.
Shava said this culture of transparency and efficiency must continue to underpin the fund’s new five-year strategy.
He indicated that ZIMDEF operations would be anchored on three non-negotiable pillars unless varied by presidential order.
“ZIMDEF will be tasked with transforming innovation hubs, agro-industrial and industrial parks into export clusters, commercialising over 180 intellectual property assets, and positioning Zimbabwe as Africa’s leader in heritage-based solutions.
“The fund will reinvest in retooling STEM laboratories and innovation hubs with AI, blockchain, and satellite technologies, and establish community digital hubs to drive solar-powered rural industrialisation.
“ZIMDEF will also deepen collaboration with industry, pension funds, and private investors to de-risk and scale infrastructure projects, ensuring that “every donor delivers measurable public returns,” he said.
Shava said ZIMDEF’s mission remains to unlock the country`s human capital potential by funding artisan training, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
“The fund must remain the instrument that channels the talent of our artisans, technicians, innovators, and entrepreneurs into the engine of our knowledge-driven economy,” he said.
He applauded industry partners for their timely submission of the 1 percent training levy, adding that the fund fuels the national skills development agenda.
“Your commitment demonstrates a shared understanding that investing in human capital is investing in Zimbabwe’s industrial future,” he said.
New Ziana
