Industry in Zimbabwe

At independence in 1980 Zimbabwe inherited a diversified manufacturing base which had relatively highly developed linkages with the agricultural and mining sectors of the economy. At the time the mining and agricultural sector’s provided about 30% of formal employment and more than half of the nations foreign exchange earnings, by the mid 80’s there was a shift with the manufacturing sector becoming the second largest employer. Over the last decade the manufacturing sector has experienced a downturn due to some varied major challenges.