Harare, (New Ziana)– The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT) is compiling the 2026 Zimbabwe Social Registry Survey (ZISO) as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s social safety nets.
Commenting on the survey, which is being spearheaded by the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, ZIMSTAT Director-General Tafadzwa Bandama said it is aimed at collecting detailed household-level data to build a comprehensive national social registry.
“The input of this survey is to collect household information, mainly household demographics, education, employment, housing, economic activities, and household vulnerabilities, among others. So, the information is useful as it enables the government to come up with a social registry from which it will draw interventions in social protection.
“Government will also use this information for decision making, policy formulation and implementation, as well as policy evaluation and monitoring. The central registry is handy because it enables all players in social protection and policy-making to use a single database, promotes transparency, and reduces duplication of roles and wastage of resources, as decision makers will be relying on a single database,” Bandama said.
The survey will cover the entire country. Its initial phase has started with 2 percent of the population in three districts, namely Nkayi in Matabeleland North, Mangwe in Matabeleland South, and Mudzi in Mashonaland East provinces.
Bandama added that the exercise will be extended to both rural and urban areas “so that no one and no place is left behind.”
She assured respondents who will share data with ZIMSTAT enumerators during the survey that the information will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.
“When ZIMSTAT collects information, we are bound by the Census and Statistics Act and the Data Protection Act, which ensure that data collected is kept with utmost confidence. There will be proper coordination of social protection initiatives in the country.
“We urge Zimbabweans to participate fully, openly, and objectively as enumerators move around districts to collect data for the social registry, as their participation will ensure that the Government’s initiatives on social protection are evidence-based,” she said.
According to Bandama, the survey’s outcomes will also guide development initiatives, support poverty eradication efforts, and ensure that social services are accessible to every Zimbabwean.
