MCDF and Zimbabwe Build Connectivity Infrastructure Collaboration to Unlock Regional Trade and Sustainable Growth

A Multilateral Cooperation Center for Development Finance (MCDF) delegation led by CEO Zhongjing Wang held bilateral meetings with officials from Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Finance, Economic Development, and Investment Promotion and Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development on 17 March in Harare. The MCDF delegation and officials identified opportunities for closer collaboration to promote high-quality connectivity infrastructure development that can help unlock regional trade and sustainable growth.

CEO Wang and MCDF’s Ms. Monde Nyambe and Mr. Erick Mariga met Mr. Andrew Bvumbe, Head of the Public Debt Management Office at the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development, and Investment Promotion, and his colleagues. Mr. Bvumbe noted that upgrading connectivity infrastructure is a pillar of Zimbabwe’s development strategy and welcomed MCDF’s focus on supporting project preparation and bankability which he said is key to meeting the country’s investment needs.

Mr. Andrew Ndawana, Deputy Director of Monitoring and Evaluation at the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, and his colleagues described Zimbabwe’s priority pipeline of projects covering the national railway system, regional trade corridors, dry ports, and airport expansion. Mr. Ndawana said it could benefit greatly from MCDF’s partnership approach to promoting the application of International Financial Institution (IFI) standards and good practices to realize sustainable, high-quality connectivity infrastructure.

CEO Wang affirmed MCDF’s commitment to guide ministry staff on tapping MCDF grant support, thanked them for their interest in Zimbabwe becoming an MCDF Coordination Committee Observer country, and encouraged them to actively participate in capacity building and knowledge sharing activities organized by MCDF and its 14 partner IFIs. He also welcomed Zimbabwe to participate in strategic discussions in 2026 on MCFD’s next phase, starting in 2027, and thanked officials for accepting his invitation to join the first meeting of the MCDF Finance Facility replenishment exercise on 30 March in Beijing.