The crux is what will happen post-election

Economic and political analysts are upbeat about the outlook for Zimbabwe. This is thanks to the conciliatory tone of newly elected president Emmerson Mnangagwa. “There seems to be a real willingness to draw in more than what his own ZanuPF has to offer by way of solutions,” said political analyst at NKC African Economics, Gary van Staden. “Politics in the country has been turned upside down with no real clear vision of what will happen. There is no denying that the task ahead of Mnangagwa at this stage is mountainous.” According to Van Staden, while the overthrow of Robert Mugabe and the takeover by Mnangagwa does open up real opportunity for investment and business at large, there is still much to be cautious about. “Our advice is to wait for the elections. If the same old tactics are displayed in this election as has been the case with past elections where Zanu-PF were victorious, we have a clear indication of what we can expect on the political front in years to come,” he told FTW. He said unlike South Africa where investors were advised to move quickly after the fall of apartheid in 1994 or face paying a 20% premium for not being a first mover, this might not be the best option in Zimbabwe. “There has to be an element of certainty in the country,” he said. “In this case there has to be certainty that Mnangagwa will follow through on what he is saying.”