Zimbabwe forecasts fastest growth in 14 years after IMF deal

Zimbabwe’s economy could grow at its fastest pace in 14 years after the nation secured a 10-month staff-monitored program with the International Monetary Fund, its secretary for finance and economic development said.

The economy may expand by at least 8.5% in 2026 and rates could reach 9% to 10%, far outpacing an earlier projection of 6.6%, George Guvamatanga said Tuesday at a mining conference in Cape Town. If realised, that would mark the fastest annual expansion since 2012 and be almost double the 5% pace projected by the IMF for this year.

Guvamatanga said the acceleration would be driven by reforms anchored by an IMF program, alongside a continued recovery in the agriculture and mining sector.

The resource-rich nation secured the deal last week, a key step toward resolving about $23 billion of debt that has shut it out of international capital markets for nearly three decades.

© 2026 Bloomberg

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