Zimbabwe’s Minister for Youth meets UK Ambassador Unlocking Pathways for Young People at Home and Abroad

By Kudzai Makuku

In Harare today, the Minister of Youth, Honourable Tino Machakaire, held an important meeting with the British Ambassador to Zimbabwe, His Excellency Pete Vowles.

The discussions touched on a wide range of issues, from youth empowerment and inclusive economic growth to vocational training, education and scholarship opportunities.

While such meetings are often framed in diplomatic terms, this one carries significant meaning for Zimbabwean youths, both those based in Zimbabwe and those living in the United Kingdom.

It offers not just dialogue, but the possibility of tangible opportunities that can transform young lives.For young people in Zimbabwe, this engagement opens doors to new avenues of support in education, skills training and professional development.

A stronger partnership with the UK could expand access to vocational training programmes, scholarships, and apprenticeships.

These opportunities would not only enhance employability at home but also equip young Zimbabweans with globally competitive skills.

At a time when unemployment remains a pressing challenge, such initiatives could empower the next generation to create jobs, innovate, and become leaders in diverse sectors ranging from technology and business to culture and the creative industries.

For Zimbabwean youths already living in the UK, this meeting represents a bridge between their adopted home and their country of origin.

They are uniquely placed to benefit from and contribute to emerging partnerships.

UK-based Zimbabwean youths could take advantage of exchange initiatives, cross-border entrepreneurial ventures, and mentorship opportunities.

Equally, they could act as cultural and professional ambassadors, connecting British institutions, businesses and communities with Zimbabwean talent and creativity.

In doing so, they not only strengthen ties between the two nations but also create pathways for collaboration that benefit peers back home.

More broadly, this kind of bilateral dialogue lays the foundation for long-term cooperation in areas that matter deeply to young people.

We could see growth in educational exchanges, creating more access to scholarships, university partnerships, and joint research opportunities.

Entrepreneurship and innovation fostering start-up support programmes, youth innovation hubs, and business networks linking the UK and Zimbabwe.

What is particularly significant is that this dialogue comes at a time when young people are increasingly recognised as central to national development.

By involving them directly in conversations around growth, skills and opportunity, Zimbabwe positions its youth not just as beneficiaries of policy but as active drivers of change.

For Zimbabwean youths in both the UK and Zimbabwe, this moment should be seen as an invitation, an invitation to participate, to collaborate, and to take up opportunities that may arise as relations between the two countries strengthen.

If nurtured properly, this could open doors not only to individual success stories but also to a new era of shared growth between Zimbabwe and its diaspora.