Harare is Zimbabwe's capital city with a population of 2.4 million in its metropolitan province. It is the country's leading financial and commercial centre. Harare represents a significant portion of the country's GDP and has a GDP per capita of approximately US$3,000. The service sector accounts for over 60% of the GDP. Key industries include automobile assembly , food processing, metal production, chemicals, tobacco products and so on.
If the city is able to implement the right policies to empower entrepreneurship and incentivise business, it will be well positioned to attract more investment in the coming years. A key challenge for the city will be in developing the city's brand and perception as well.
Zimbabwe is currently reliant on coal and hydroelectric power plants. The nation's climatic conditions, however, make it an ideal site for expansion of renewable energy capacity. According to the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA), the country has a huge solar photovoltaic (PV) irradiation potential of 109GW. This provides a great starting point for the nation to look towards diversifying its energy sector and capturing new opportunities in the global green economy.
