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IMC Zimbabwe: Unlocking Human Potential in Formalizing Zimbabwe’s Highly Informal Economy

Let’s walk hand in hand to realize the gold potential of Zimbabwe’s human resources.

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IMC Membership

Join the IMC Zimbabwe Region to take advantage of exclusive discounts on mentor credentials, mentoring certification, and mentoring accreditation. Improve your mentoring skills with our resources and templates, and an impact.

IMC Credential

Enhance your career and credibility with mentor credentials like CAM, CPM, or CMM. The IMC Zimbabwe Region offers opportunities to earn and renew these credentials, helping you grow as a mentor and have a lasting positive effect in Zimbabwe.

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IMC Accreditation

Achieve international recognition for your mentoring efforts with IMC accreditation for your organization or training facility. This validates your mentoring programs and demonstrates your commitment to quality mentoring throughout Zimbabwe.

Mentoring in Organizations

Showcase your organization's commitment to employee development through mentoring. IMC accreditation guarantees that your mentoring programs meet international standards and nurture a strong mentoring culture.

IMC in Zimbabwe

As a beautiful nation that has been grappling with economic instability for more than two decades, mentoring creates the path forward. Initiatives by the government, such as the introduction of the Zimbabwe Gold as its new currency in 2024, led to a steep reduction in inflation. In parallel, mentoring is helping many youth-led informal businesses register themselves and get formal recognition. It also trains them, including women, to take charge of their and Zimbabwe’s future through economic empowerment.

As of now, there is a huge potential and opportunity to ensure that mentoring enters every sector of the economy. Research says that only 18% of local companies have a formal mentorship structure. IMC Zimbabwe is on a big mission to empower the people of Zimbabwe with the frameworks they need to transition into a bright and prosperous future.

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🇿🇼 Mentoring in Zimbabwe Key Statistics

Fully attributable macroeconomic data and corporate mentoring benchmarks — sourced exclusively from public, auditable reports.

As of July 2026 · Sources: World Bank · RBZ · AfDB · IPMZ
▶ National Economic Indicators VERIFIED
Zimbabwe – Macroeconomic Landscape 2024–2026 · Public Records
Informal workforce share 90% of total employment
90%
Peak inflation (2024) 736% year-on-year
736%
Current inflation (2026) 4.7% annual rate (post-ZiG)
4.7%
Projected GDP growth (2025) 6.6% World Bank forecast
6.6%
Sources: World Bank Zimbabwe Economic Update (Dec 2025) · African Development Bank (2024 inflation) · Trading Economics (Jul 2026 inflation) · The Standard / Business Daily (informal workforce)
▶ Corporate Mentoring Structures VERIFIED
Institute of People Management of Zimbabwe (IPMZ) Survey 2023 · National Sample
Companies with formal coaching / mentoring 18% of surveyed firms
18%
Of those, tracking measurable outcomes <10% only
<10%
Employee retention premium (global benchmark) ~40% higher with effective mentoring
~40%
Source: Institute of People Management of Zimbabwe (IPMZ) 2023 Workplace Survey · Global retention benchmark cited by IPMZ
▶ Key Insights

Informal Economy

90%

Of Zimbabwe's workforce operates informally — formalisation is the single largest economic lever.

The Standard · Business Daily

Inflation Turnaround

736% → 4.7%

From peak (2024) to current rate (2026) after ZiG currency reform and monetary tightening.

AfDB · Trading Economics

GDP Rebound

6.6%

Projected 2025 growth — among the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa, per the World Bank.

World Bank (Dec 2025)

Corporate Mentoring Gap

18%

Only 1 in 5 companies has formal mentoring structures; less than 10% track outcomes.

IPMZ 2023 Survey
Data Certification: Every indicator presented above is sourced from publicly available, auditable reports published by the World Bank, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (via cited secondary sources), the African Development Bank, and the Institute of People Management of Zimbabwe (IPMZ). No program-level estimates, internal monitoring data, or unaudited figures are included in this infographic. All numbers are independently verifiable.
International Mentoring Center · Insights Hub · Zimbabwe Data verified against primary sources as of July 2026

Upcoming Chapters

Harare

Harare

Status: Launching Soon

Accepting Volunteers
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Bulawayo

Bulawayo

Status: Launching Soon

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Mutare

Mutare

Status: Launching Soon

Accepting Volunteers
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Benefits of Mentoring in Zimbabwe Impact Delivery

How structured mentorship drives workforce readiness, academic confidence, and professional leadership — building resilience and opportunity aligned with Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 and National Development Strategy 2.

As of July 2026 · Sources: Government of Zimbabwe · Young Africa · UNITAR · WiM Zimbabwe · AFRIESEARCHI · Fojo Media Institute · Hivos · First Mutual

Workforce & Organizational Benefits

Youth Employment & Skills Development

Under Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), youth development is a national priority, with over 67% of the population aged 15–35. The Youth Service in Zimbabwe (YSZ) program trained 2,123 young people in 2025 across six-month cohorts covering civic education, entrepreneurship, and career guidance. YSZ certification is now mandatory for entry into the state's higher education and public services.

Graduate Employability

The First Mutual–JA Zimbabwe Graduate Mentorship Program connects graduates with experienced professionals through mentorship sessions on career guidance, employability, financial management, and entrepreneurship, bridging the gap between academic learning and real-world application. Graduates describe the mentorship as an “all-in-one package of what they need right after graduation”.

Green Economy & Export Readiness

Hivos’ Youth Green Transition Project empowers youth-led agribusinesses with tiered capacity building, including export readiness training, advanced technical training, and an intensive mentorship program with seed grant opportunities for winners. The program targets youth aged 18–35 in Bulawayo and Mutare.

Academic & Research Development Benefits

Research Mentorship & STEMM Capacity

The AFRIESEARCHI Zimbabwe Gender in STEMM Mentorship Program piloted a 12-month research mentorship curriculum from 2021–2022, equipping 30 members (80% female) with skills for research. The outcomes included 5 members (17%) registering for or graduating with doctoral degrees, 14 members (50%) completing visiting fellowships, and individual projects awarded grants totalling over $300,000. Nearly 90% of participants were satisfied with their mentorship experience.

Vocational Training & Technical Skills

Young Africa Zimbabwe’s Skills2Live program, supported by IOM, trained 430 young people in trades such as solar technology, hotel management, and metal fabrication over a six-month period — with 76% being young female adults. Tinoda Machakaire, the Minister of Youth Empowerment, Development & Vocational Training, urged the private sector to mentor and employ these graduates, as a skilled workforce is needed to modernize industries.

Agribusiness & Climate-Smart Agriculture

The UNITAR–BADEA Coaching & Mentoring Programme (Phase III) empowers women and youth agripreneurs in Zimbabwe to move from planning to practical implementation. Phases I & II trained 50 women and youth entrepreneurs in agribusiness planning, climate-smart practices, and leadership. Phase III provides weekly personalized mentoring, helping participants launch and scale climate-smart ventures that contribute to job creation and food security.

Professional & Social Impact Benefits

Women’s Leadership in Mining

Women in Mining Zimbabwe (WiM) pioneered a national model turning female mining students into mine owners. The first cohort produced 88 certified “Minepreneurs” and an “Elite 8” with fully viable business plans. The program merges engineering skills with a “Mining as a Business” curriculum, linking students to international platforms including the African Mining Indaba. A second cohort is undergoing 13 weeks of intensive mentorship in 2026.

Women in Media & Journalism

The Women Media Leaders of Tomorrow (WMLT) program brought together 24 female journalism students from three Zimbabwean universities with seasoned media professionals. Facilitated by the Zimbabwe Journalism Educators Network, the initiative provided mentorship on navigating male-dominated media spaces, self-leadership, and career advancement. Students reported the experience was “life changing” and expanded their career horizons.

Policy & Multisectoral Mentorship

The EMPOWA-Zim Programme is a year-long multisectoral initiative for policymakers and programmers across ministries, government agencies, NGOs, and youth advocates. Since 2021, the program has delivered annual cohorts of 20 senior-level participants, each supported to design and implement a “change project” within their organization to improve adolescent wellbeing. 33 participants successfully graduated in 2024.

International Mentoring Center · Zimbabwe Chapter Sources: Government of Zimbabwe (NDS2/YSZ) · Young Africa Zimbabwe · UNITAR–BADEA · Women in Mining Zimbabwe · AFRIESEARCHI · Fojo Media Institute · Hivos · First Mutual · JA Zimbabwe · EMPOWA-Zim

Accreditation Process

How Organizations in Zimbabwe Can Get IMC Accreditation

To maintain the highest level of standards in global mentoring, IMC has a rigorous review system to audit your organization’s program quality as part of our strict accreditation process requirements in Zimbabwe.

Your organization can opt to provide a mentoring program with more than 20 hours of training or a shorter one. This can get you a training accreditation or an endorsed training accreditation.

Your program must include mentoring skills and domain or knowledge development so as to be eligible for accreditation. Every program must incorporate the following three sections compulsorily:

  1. The IMC Definition of Mentoring
  2. The IMC Code of Conduct and Ethics
  3. The IMC Core Competencies (minimum of 3 are must for accreditation)

The programs must provide participants with the necessary skills for each credential and ensure that the trainer is the primary mentor supervisor for at least a year.

The accreditation will be valid for three years from the date of issue.

The Accreditation Application Flow

The entire accreditation application process takes around four to six weeks. 

Stage 1: Organization Details

Stage 2: Program Details

Stage 3: Instructor Details

Stage 4: Terms and Conditions

Following a successful review, you’ll receive an email notification confirming your IMC accreditation status and a media kit to display your accreditation.

Please feel free to contact us for any further clarification

FAQs

The IMC is a globally recognized organization dedicated to advancing the mentoring profession. It’s a community of professionals united to foster growth through mentoring, offering certifications, memberships, and accreditations to empower ethical and highly skilled mentors.

IMC provides a comprehensive ecosystem of credentials to validate mentoring expertise. These include: 

  • Certified Associate Mentor (CAM) 
  • Certified Professional Mentor (CPM)
  • Certified Master Mentor (CMM)

The IMC Zimbabwe Region is a local chapter of the International Mentoring Center. It serves as a dedicated network for mentoring professionals in Zimbabwe, aiming to connect, collaborate, and thrive within the local community. The chapter focuses on regions including Harare, Bulawayo, and Mutare.

IMC Zimbabwe invites members to take on active roles within the organization. You can volunteer your time, lead a local chapter in cities like Harare or Bulawayo, and help organize community events for the mentoring community. These leadership positions also provide access to exclusive IMC content for professional growth.

IMC Zimbabwe provides the framework and support to integrate mentoring into your organization. You can collaborate with their team and volunteers to establish structured mentoring programs that give your employees access to the resources they need to improve their skills.

For further information or to express your interest in joining or volunteering, you can contact the IMC Zimbabwe Region Management Team directly through the main IMC support channels.

By joining IMC Zimbabwe, you become part of a community committed to making a positive social impact. Members have the opportunity to volunteer, lead local chapters, and participate in community events. These activities allow you to give back, gain new skills, and earn MDCs (Mentoring Development Credits), which are useful for credential renewal.

Join IMC Zimbabwe