The departure of Choppies supermarket group from Zimbabwe is sad news, as many of our people will lose their jobs, and wholesalers who supplied Choppies, along with its vegetable suppliers, will have fewer customers.
Zimbabwe already suffers from 95% unemployment and the highest inflation in the world.
This departure is a sign of the tough economic times ahead, driven by Mnangagwa’s failed policies and his refusal to listen when warned that his poorly conceived economic policies and questionable projects, such as the ZIG, were destined to fail.
Choppies was honest about why it is leaving, it says it is leaving because of the informalisation of the Zimbabwean economy.
Ordinarily, this would have served as a wake up call, but not in Zimbabwe, the regime won’t listen.
It may be a coincidence that this departure was announced in the same week as the release of the Africa Risk Reward Index report for 2024, compiled by Control Risks and Oxford Economics, which states that Zimbabwe now has the highest investment risk in Africa and the lowest returns.
However, if Zimbabweans are truly serious about their country’s economic fortunes, they must address this economic disaster, times will be harder and painful ahead.
