Zimbabwe at a Crossroads: Export Ambitions Rise as Citizens Return from South Africa’s Xenophobic Violence

Zimbabwe is facing two sharply different regional realities at once. On one hand, the country is trying to build new economic pathways through agriculture, diplomacy and regional trade. On the other, it is receiving citizens fleeing xenophobic violence in South Africa, a reminder of the human cost of migration pressures and economic uncertainty across southern Africa.

Recent developments show a country working to strengthen its productive sectors while also managing the consequences of instability beyond its borders. Zimbabwe’s growing rabbit industry is now being positioned as a potential export earner, with diplomatic support being mobilised in Rwanda to help open African markets. At the same time, 74 Zimbabweans have been repatriated from South Africa after violence targeting African migrants spread across parts of the country.

Together, these stories reveal a wider national challenge: Zimbabwe is seeking growth, jobs and regional competitiveness while also responding to the vulnerability of citizens who have long relied on migration for survival and opportunity.

A New Agricultural Opportunity Takes Shape

Zimbabwe’s rabbit industry has moved from the margins of backyard farming into a more commercially organised sector. Over the past six years, rabbit production has expanded rapidly, driven by rising demand for rabbit meat and growing interest in healthier protein sources.

Rabbit meat is widely regarded as a healthy source of protein because of its high protein content and low cholesterol levels. That consumer appeal is now being matched with efforts to improve production standards, genetics and export readiness.

Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Rwanda, Charity Manyeruke, has pledged diplomatic support for efforts to secure export markets for Zimbabwean rabbit products across Africa. Her remarks came during a meeting with a Zimbabwean delegation in Rwanda for specialised rabbit artificial insemination training.

“We will support Zimbabwe to explore export markets within Africa,” she said. “The rabbit sector in Zimbabwe has the potential to create jobs and generate foreign currency.”

That statement reflects a broader policy ambition: to turn a fast-growing livestock sub-sector into a structured value chain capable of supplying both domestic and regional markets.

Rwanda Becomes a Training Ground for Zimbabwe’s Rabbit Sector

The Zimbabwean delegation is undergoing specialised training at the Kigali Rabbit Centre, a move expected to strengthen local capacity in rabbit artificial insemination, genetic improvement and production efficiency.

The delegation is led by Senzile Ndlovu, acting livestock specialist in the Department of Livestock and Fisheries Production under the Ministry of Agriculture. Other members include Tatenda Warima of the Department of Veterinary Technical Services, Zimbabwe Commercial Rabbit Breeders Association president Regis Nyamakanga, Raymeg Consultants executive director Paidamoyo Nyamakanga, and trainees Farlen Marume and Melissa Nyamakanga.

The training is being conducted by Dieudonne Musoni, chief executive officer of the Kigali Rabbit Centre. Its aim is not only to build technical knowledge among the trainees, but also to create a pathway for knowledge transfer to farmers and industry stakeholders across Zimbabwe.

Upon completion of the programme, the trainees are expected to share the skills acquired in Rwanda through training sessions, demonstrations and extension support services. This is important because artificial insemination can help improve genetics, increase productivity and support a more predictable supply chain.

For Zimbabwe to compete in export markets, productivity and quality control will be essential. Export buyers require consistency, traceability and reliability. Training in advanced breeding techniques is therefore part of a larger transition from informal production to a more professional livestock industry.

Diplomacy and Agriculture Converge

Manyeruke also highlighted the strength of relations between Zimbabwe and Rwanda. Since 2019, the two countries have signed 33 Memoranda of Understanding, including agreements in agriculture. These agreements provide a framework for deeper cooperation, technical exchange and sector development.

In this case, diplomacy is being used not only for political engagement but also for commercial support. Zimbabwe’s embassy in Rwanda is positioning itself as a bridge between local producers and potential African markets.

The rabbit sector’s appeal lies in its relatively low entry barriers for farmers, its potential to support youth and rural livelihoods, and its alignment with rising demand for alternative protein sources. If properly developed, it could contribute to employment creation, foreign currency earnings and regional trade.

Director of Livestock and Fisheries Production in the Ministry of Agriculture, Milton Makumbe, said the skills being acquired in Rwanda would support Zimbabwe’s broader ambitions to position rabbit farming as a key livestock sub-sector with export potential.

He said the knowledge gained would contribute to plans to establish a National Rabbit Training, Research and Development Centre, complete with a dedicated Artificial Insemination Unit. Such a centre would help drive innovation, productivity and industry growth.

The Export Question: Promise and Practical Challenges

The ambition to export rabbit products across Africa is significant, but it will require more than enthusiasm. Zimbabwe will need to build systems that can support farmers from breeding to processing, packaging, certification and market access.

For the sector to become a real foreign currency earner, several issues will matter. Farmers need access to improved breeding stock, veterinary support, training, finance and reliable buyers. Processors need quality standards and cold-chain capacity. Exporters need market intelligence, regulatory approvals and dependable supply volumes.

The current Rwanda training programme addresses one important part of that puzzle: technical capacity. By improving genetics and production efficiency, Zimbabwe can raise output and quality. But the next stage will be connecting production with structured markets.

This is why the proposed National Rabbit Training, Research and Development Centre could become central to the sector’s future. If it functions effectively, it could serve as a hub for farmer education, artificial insemination services, research and industry coordination.

A Human Crisis at the Border

While Zimbabwe looks outward for agricultural markets, it is also receiving citizens forced to return from South Africa after xenophobic violence spread across parts of the country.

Seventy-four Zimbabweans were repatriated by road, arriving through Beitbridge. The group included adults and children who had fled violence, looting and intimidation. Zimbabwe joined Malawi, Ghana, Mozambique and Nigeria, which have also evacuated citizens from South Africa amid the unrest.

Returnees described frightening scenes. Emilia Tochi, who returned home to Mashava, said migrants were being forced out regardless of their legal status.

“Where we are coming from, the situation is tense, and the community we were living in doesn’t consider whether you are documented or not. You are just told to go and, if you show them your documents proving that you are legal in that country, they tear the documents. But now we are safely home,” she said.

Teddius Masendeke, of Mutoko, fled Mossel Bay in the Western Cape, the same area where Mozambique said five of its citizens were killed.

“People are being beaten, and locals are looting everything. We found refuge at the police station,” he said.

Theresa Sibanda, who was returning to Harare, described how quickly people had to flee.

“It was a matter of picking what you have and seeking refuge in safety halls. Now we feel safe here because we have a home,” she said.

The International Organisation for Migration documented the returnees and facilitated their onward journeys from Beitbridge.

Fear, Loss and the Fragility of Migrant Life

For many Zimbabweans in South Africa, migration has long been tied to work, family survival and economic opportunity. The latest violence shows how fragile that life can become when migrants are targeted by anti-immigrant groups or local mobs.

Some returnees said they left most of their property behind. Others described taking shelter in police stations or community halls. Families fled with children, clothing and whatever belongings they could carry.

One account described adults and children spending days under police protection at Mossel Bay Municipality Hall before being repatriated. Primrose Sibanda said she had been forced out of her shack after it was looted and torched.

“It was a horrible two weeks of uncertainty,” she said.

She added: “A mob with some people I could identify in the community ordered us to leave. Out of fear, I gathered the few clothing items I could get my hands on.”

“I left my belongings, which I think they helped themselves to before setting the shack alight.”

Her legal status did not protect her. She said: “They didn’t want to see or hear anything; they knew I was Zimbabwean, and that was enough for them to tell me to leave because I was one of those who are ‘taking their jobs,’”

Another returnee, truck driver Elijah Chikwenya, came back with his wife, Molly, and two children. He said the Zimbabwean government’s intervention had helped them escape an increasingly dangerous situation.

“I managed to seek refuge with my wife and two children, a boy and a girl. I don’t know how long we would have been safe had the Zimbabwean government not facilitated our departure,” he said.

South Africa’s Response and a Wider Regional Concern

Anti-immigrant groups have reportedly set a June 30 deadline for foreigners of African extraction to leave South Africa. The development has heightened fears among migrant communities and placed pressure on governments whose citizens live and work there.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa pledged to act against groups exploiting public frustration over immigration.

“We will act against forces who are exploiting the concerns of our people about illegal immigration to further their own political, personal and criminal agendas,” Ramaphosa said in a televised address, without specifying the measures to be taken.

“We will and must not allow groups to use the legitimate concerns of South Africans to destabilise our country through inciting lawlessness and violence,” he added.

He also cautioned citizens against stopping people on the streets to demand identity documents, saying immigration enforcement is the responsibility of the state.

The unrest reflects a recurring problem in South Africa, where immigrants are often blamed for unemployment, crime and other economic grievances. Migrant advocates argue that such accusations are unfair and have repeatedly been weaponised by populist politics.

For Zimbabwe, the issue is both diplomatic and domestic. The government must protect citizens abroad, coordinate repatriation when necessary, and prepare for the reintegration of returnees who may arrive with trauma, lost property and uncertain livelihoods.

Two Stories, One National Challenge

The contrast between the rabbit export drive and the repatriation of migrants is striking. One story is about building new economic opportunity; the other is about citizens returning from danger. Yet they are connected by the same underlying question: how can Zimbabwe create enough viable opportunities at home while competing more effectively across the region?

If the rabbit industry succeeds, it could contribute to job creation, rural incomes and export earnings. That would align with the broader need to expand domestic economic options. But the return of citizens fleeing violence in South Africa shows that many Zimbabweans remain exposed to risks beyond the country’s borders.

Agricultural commercialisation, regional diplomacy and skills transfer are important parts of Zimbabwe’s development strategy. But so are migrant protection, reintegration support and the creation of livelihoods that reduce dependence on precarious work abroad.

What Comes Next for Zimbabwe

The next phase for Zimbabwe’s rabbit industry will depend on whether training and diplomatic goodwill translate into practical results. Farmers will need sustained technical support, the planned National Rabbit Training, Research and Development Centre will need to become operational, and export market development will require coordination between government, breeders, processors and regional partners.

For the repatriated citizens, immediate priorities include counselling, transport to home communities and support for rebuilding livelihoods. The Zimbabwean government has indicated that it would offer counselling to those returning from traumatic xenophobic episodes, while arrangements are also being made for Zimbabweans in KwaZulu-Natal to return home.

Both developments point to Zimbabwe’s increasingly active regional role. In Rwanda, the country is seeking knowledge and markets. At Beitbridge, it is receiving citizens fleeing violence. In both cases, the state is being tested on its ability to protect livelihoods, strengthen institutions and turn regional connections into tangible benefits.

Conclusion: Zimbabwe’s Regional Future Is Being Tested

Zimbabwe’s current moment is defined by ambition and vulnerability. The push to commercialise rabbit farming shows a country looking for new sources of employment, exports and agricultural innovation. The repatriation of citizens from South Africa shows the continuing risks faced by migrants in a region where economic frustration can quickly turn into violence.

The significance of these developments lies in what they reveal about Zimbabwe’s future. Economic resilience will not come from one sector alone, but from the ability to build productive industries, protect citizens, deepen regional cooperation and create opportunities that reduce insecurity.

Zimbabwe’s rabbit export drive may seem like a specialised agricultural story, while the return of citizens from South Africa may appear to be a migration crisis. Together, they form a larger national narrative: Zimbabwe is trying to build a stronger place for itself in Africa while ensuring its people can live, work and return home with dignity.