Zimbabwe’s statistical advancements have taken centre stage at the 33rd Southern African Development Community (SADC) Statistics Committee Meeting, where delegates from across the region converged to chart a unified path for credible and harmonised data systems. The gathering, held in the iconic city of Victoria Falls, saw the country being celebrated for its strides in modernising and aligning its national statistics infrastructure with global development frameworks, placing it as a model worth emulating within the 16-member bloc.
SADC Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration, Ms. Angele Makombo N’tumba, lauded Zimbabwe for demonstrating consistency and leadership in the development of its data systems. She pointed out that the country’s ability to synchronise national statistics with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the African Union’s Agenda 2063, and the SADC Vision 2050, sets it apart as an example of how data can be effectively leveraged for policy and planning. Her remarks reflect a broader sentiment that without credible statistics, development becomes speculative and inefficient, making Zimbabwe’s achievements timely and vital.
Representing the Zimbabwean government, Deputy Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, Honourable David Mnangagwa, acknowledged the commendation from SADC and reiterated Zimbabwe’s commitment to international best practices. He emphasised that ZIMSTAT, the country’s official statistics agency, has become a reliable source of data even for global institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, and African Development Bank (AfDB), many of which now use Zimbabwean data without the need for additional validation. This, according to the Deputy Minister, is a strong indicator of the robustness of Zimbabwe’s statistical framework, which continues to be refined through engagements such as the current committee meeting.
A key issue under review during the Victoria Falls meeting is the ratification of the SADC Protocol on Statistics, a landmark legal instrument that, once operationalised, will strengthen the credibility, standardisation, and comparability of official statistics across the region. The urgency to ratify the protocol stems from a recognition that accurate and harmonised data is no longer a luxury but a necessity for regional integration, equitable development, and effective governance.
Beyond commendations and acknowledgements, the SADC Statistics Committee is also using this platform to evaluate the implementation of past resolutions while shaping a forward-looking strategy that will guide statistical development in the region over the medium term. Zimbabwe’s hosting of the meeting adds symbolic weight, not only due to the prestige of Victoria Falls but also because it reflects the country’s growing influence in shaping the statistical discourse on the continent.
The conference, themed around strengthening regional cooperation in statistical development, thus offers more than just technical deliberations. It serves as an affirmation that evidence-based planning, driven by accurate data, is central to Africa’s development vision. Zimbabwe’s prominence at the summit marks a powerful narrative of how consistent investment in national statistics can elevate a country’s standing and contribute meaningfully to regional transformation.
