目前，有众多中资企业在津巴布韦从事工程承包业务，涉及通讯、水利、电力、交通等领域。典型代表有维多利亚瀑布新机场、卡里巴南岸水电站扩容、万吉火电站扩容、“移动壹网”国家宽带网等项目
文I 黄屏 中国驻津巴布韦大使 图片提供I 中国驻津巴布韦大使馆
“津”今乐道
津巴布韦位于东南部非洲腹地，面积39.1万平方公里，人口1560万(世界银行2015年数据)。当地气候宜人、四季如春、风景秀丽，人民热情友好，纯朴善良，社会治安状况良好。
2000年以前，津巴布韦曾是南部非洲重要的农矿产品出口国，被誉为南部非洲的“面包篮子”，经济实力在该地区位于前列。2000年后，津实施快速土改，同英美等西方国家关系迅速恶化，并受其制裁。随着外部经济环境的恶化，2000年至2008年，津经济逐年下滑，通货膨胀日益严重，农业、制造业及矿业等支柱行业遭受严重打击，经济体系和基础受到较大破坏。2009年，联合政府成立后，新政府开始着力恢复经济，实现了连续的快速增长。2013年7月，津成功举行了总统、议会和地方“三合一”选举，民盟重回一党执政地位，将推动经济恢复和发展作为工作重心，取得了一定的成绩，国内外看好津经济发展前景的力量明显增多。
⬆津巴布韦维多利亚瀑布
“津”彩纷呈
津巴布韦拥有丰富的农业、矿业资源，公民受教育水平普遍较高，是非洲识字率最高的国家之一，位于南部非洲的地理中心，基础设施底子好，总体而言相比其他非洲国家有不少得天独厚的优势，经济发展潜力大，大有希望成为投资兴业的热土。
2017年4月，美国一家向“财富500”企业提供市场研究报告的知名公司提出，津巴布韦是过去3年非洲投资回报率最高的3个国家之一。津目前农业和农业加工业、制造业、旅游业、服务业、采矿、信息通信产业等几乎所有行业都亟需投资，都有大量投资机会。
农业、矿业、制造业是津巴布韦三大支柱产业。农业主要产品有烟草、棉花、玉米、小麦、糖、茶叶、咖啡、木材、牛肉和甜豆等。作为世界第三大烟草出口国，津烟草生产及出口近年来保持旺盛势头。由于2016〜2017雨季的大量降水，预计今年津棉花产量将达15万吨，谷物产量将达270万吨，其中玉米200万吨，均实现丰产。在确保粮食安全的同时，将进一步刺激食品加工和制造业的复苏。
津矿产资源极其丰富。根据津矿业协会报告数据，津铂金、铬铁预计储量世界第二，钻石预计储量数亿克拉，黄金预计储量1300万吨，镍矿石预计储量450万吨，煤预计储量300亿吨。2015年，矿业产出约占津GDP的8.85%,矿业收入18亿美元。
津曾是撒哈拉以南非洲拥有规模最大、部门最齐全制造业的国家之一，基础很好。2013年制造业产出约占国内生产总值的12.82%。全国有工厂企业近2000家，生产从食品、服装到五金、电器和汽车(组装)等约8000种产品，产品自给率曾达90%以上。津制造业主要分为11大门类:食品、饮料卷烟、纺织、服装鞋帽、木材家俱、造纸印刷、石油化工、非金属矿产品、金属与金属产品、交通设备以及其他门类。主要分布在首都哈拉雷和第二大城市布拉瓦约，其他制造业重要城市和地区分别为圭鲁(GWERU)、奎奎(KWEWE)、穆塔雷(MUTARE)、卡多马(KADOMA)和马旬戈(MASVINGO)。但由于经济长期低迷，制造业也受到很大冲击，目前正在缓慢复苏中。
津巴布韦旅游产品丰富，大津巴布韦遗址、维多利亚瀑布、马纳波尔斯生物保护区、卡米遗址、马托博国家公园被联合国教科文组织列入了世界遗产名录，津还有万吉国家公园、卡里巴湖及东部高地等闻名遐迩的景区。近年来，津旅游业表现良好，据津统计局数据显示，津主要城市的酒店入住率超过50%，游客人数每年约200万人次。津旅游部门已设定目标，至2020年旅客达到500万人次，行业产值达到50亿美元。
“津”绣前程
中国与津巴布韦是“好朋友、好伙伴、好兄弟”的“全天候”友好关系。津所拥有的资源禀赋和发展潜力，与中国的资金、技术、市场优势形成良性互补，津人民普遍对华友好，两国未来合作潜力巨大，前景广阔。中国企业来津巴布韦投资大有可为。
2015年12月，习近平主席成功对津巴布韦进行国事访问，同总统穆加贝举行会谈。习主席指出，中国和津巴布韦是真正的全天候朋友，中津传统友谊源远流长，历久弥坚。中方愿推动中津经贸合作向生产加工和投资经营优化发展，鼓励更多中国企业到津巴布韦投资，优先打造现代农业产业链、矿业产业链和制造业基地，参与电力、信息通讯、交通等基础设施建设和运营，创新融资途径。中津双方在教育、文化、卫生、旅游、青年、媒体等人文领域要进一步加强交流合作，巩固中津传统友好。
根据两国元首指明的方向，近年来中津在贸易、投资、工程承包及经援等领域的务实合作取得丰硕成果。2012年，双边贸易额首次突破10亿美元，2013年达11.02亿美元，2014年达12.4亿美元，2015年达13.08亿美元。自2011年起，津巴布韦已成为中国在非洲投资的热点，连续三年成为吸引中国对非洲投资前三位的国家，其中2013年吸引中国直接投资额6.02亿美元，位列非洲首位。有众多中资企业在津巴布韦从事工程承包业务，涉及通讯、水利、电力、交通等领域。维多利亚瀑布新机场、卡里巴南岸水电站扩容、万吉火电站扩容、“移动壹网”国家宽带网项目等津巴布韦近期完成或在建的重大工程项目，绝大多数由中资企业承建。
当然，当前津经济总体仍然较为低迷，投资政策存在一定的不确定性，在津投资也有一定风险。但风险往往蕴藏着机遇。有意来津的企业宜充分做好准备，最大限度地克服风险，抓住机遇。
Zimbabwe: Avoid risks and seize opportunities
By H.E.Mr.Huang Ping, Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe; Translated by Wang Xiaobo
Zimbabwe’s current situation
Zimbabwe is located in the southeast ofAfrica, with an area of 391 thousand square kilometers. According to World Bankdata for 2015, it has a population of 15.6 million. The local climate ispleasant with spring seasons all the year round and beautiful scenery. Thepeople there are warm and friendly; pure and kind; and its public securitysituation is quite in order.
Before 2000, Zimbabwe, known as ‘breadbasket’, was once a main exporter ofagricultural and mineral products in the area of Southern Africa, and itseconomic strength was at the forefront of that region. But after 2000, becauseZimbabwe carried out the swift land reform, its relationship with westerncountries, such as Britain and United States, became deteriorated rapidly, andthey even took sanctions against it. With the deterioration of the externaleconomic situation, from 2000 to 2008, its economy has been declining year byyear—–inflation getting serious; pillar industries, such as agriculture,manufacturing and mining, having been exposed to strong attack; and itseconomic system and foundation having been damaged greatly. In the year of2009, after the establishment of a new coalition government, it began to focuson restoring the economy, which, in turn, has achieved a continuous and rapidgrowth. In July.2013, the presidential, parliamentary and local "three inone" elections were successfully held in Zimbabwe. As a result, DemocraticLeague Party returned to one-party ruling position, which, focusing onpromoting economic recovery and development, has made some achievements.Optimistic about the economic development prospects of Zimbabwe is apparentlyincreasing both at home and abroad.
Zimbabwe’s advantages
Zimbabwe has rich agricultural and miningresources; and being one of the countries with the highest literacy rate inAfrica, its citizens’ educational level is quite high. Located at ageographical center in southern Africa, it enjoys the privilege of awell-established infrastructure. In general, compared with other Africancountries, it has many unique advantages. Thus, it is of significant economicdevelopment potential, and there is a great hope for it to become a fertileland for investment.
In April 2017, a renowned American company,which provided market research reports to Fortune 500 companies, indicated thatZimbabwe was one of the three countries with the highest rate of return oninvestment in Africa in the past three years. At present, almost all industriesin Zimbabwe, including agriculture and agricultural processing industry,manufacturing, tourism, services, mining, information and communicationindustries, are in urgent need of investment, while at the same time, there areplenty of investment opportunities in these fields.
Agriculture, mining and manufacturing arethe three pillar industries in Zimbabwe. The main agricultural products aretobacco, cotton, corn, wheat, sugar, tea, coffee, timber, beef and bean. As theworld's third largest exporter of tobacco, its tobacco production and exporthave maintained strong momentum in recent years. Because of the heavy rainfallduring the 2016-2017 rainy season, it is expected that this year’s cottonoutput will reach 150 thousand tons; grain output will reach 2.7million tons,among which corn’s output is 2 million tons; and all of them will achieve highyield. While ensuring food security, it will further stimulate the recovery offood processing and manufacturing.
Mineral resources are extremely rich inZimbabwe. According to the data from its minerals Association report, itsexpected reserves of platinum and chromium iron are ranked at the secondposition in the world; while its expected diamond reserve is hundreds ofmillions carats; gold is 13 million tons; nickel ore is 4.5 million tons; andcoal is 30 billion tons. In 2015, mining output accounted for about 8.85% ofits GDP, and mining income reached $1.8 billion.
Zimbabwe was one of the largest and mostfully managed manufacturing countries in sub Saharan Africa with a soundindustry foundation. In 2013, manufacturing output accounted for about 12.82%of its GDP. There are nearly 2000 factories and enterprises throughout thecountry, which produce as many as 8000 different kinds of products from food,clothing to hardware, electrical appliances and automotives (assembly).And theself-sufficiency percentage among products is as high as over 90%.In Zimbabwe,the manufacturing sector is divided into eleven main categories, and they are:food, beverages and cigarettes, textiles and clothing, shoes and caps, wood andfurniture, paper making and printing, petrochemicals, non-metallic minerals,metals and metal products, transportation equipment, and other categories,which are mainly located in the capital city of Harare and the second largestcity, Bulawayo; while Gweru, Kwewe, Mutare, Kadoma and Masvingo are also the main cities or regionsfor manufacturing. But due to the long-term economic downturn, themanufacturing sector has also been affected severely, which is just slowlyrecovering.
Zimbabwe is also rich in tourism products.Great Zimbabwe Ruins, Vitoria Falls, Manna Powers Biological Reserve, Kami Siteand Matobo National Park have been listed on the world heritage list by UNESCO.Besides, in Zimbabwe, there are other famous scenic spots, such as KyrgyzstanNational Park, Kariba Lake and Eastern Highlands. In recent years, its tourismindustry is doing quite well. The data from the bureau of statistics showedthat hotels’ occupancy rate in major cities was over 50%, and the volume oftourists is about 2 million per year. The tourism sector has set a target thatthe number of tourists should reach 5 million per year by 2020, and the valueof revenues should amount to $5 billion.
Zimbabwe’s future
China has established an ‘all-weather’friendly relationship with Zimbabwe, and we are good friends, good partners andgood brothers. Zimbabwe’s resources and development potentials can positivelycomplement China’s fund, technology and market. The people of Zimbabwe arefriendly to China, so the potential for future cooperation between the twocountries is enormous and the prospect is broad. And it is promising forChinese enterprises to invest in Zimbabwe.
In December 2015, President Xi Jinping paida state visit to Zimbabwe and held talks with President Mugabe. At the meeting,President Xi pointed out that China and Zimbabwe are truly all-weather friends;and the friendship between the two countries is enduring and unshakable. Chinais willing to promote Sino- Zimbabwe economic and trade cooperation towards thedirection of production, processing and investment management and encouragemore Chinese enterprises to invest in Zimbabwe to help to modernize agriculturalindustry chain, mining industry chain and manufacturing base; to participate in infrastructure constructionand operation of power, information, communications and transportation, and toinnovate in financing approach. China and Zimbabwe will further strengthencommunication and cooperation in the fields of education, culture, health,tourism, youth, media and other humanities to consolidate the traditionalfriendship between the two countries.
In accordance with the directions indicatedby the two heads of state, Sino- Zimbabwe achieved fruitful results throughpractical cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, project contractingand economic aid in recent years. In 2012, bilateral trade volume topped $1billion for the first time; in 2013, the amount reached $1.102 billion; in2014, the figure was $1.24 billion; and in 2015, it was increased to $1.308billion. Since 2011, Zimbabwe has become the hot spot for Chinese investors inAfrican. For three years in a row, it was one of the top three Africancountries that attracted Chinese investors most. In 2013, the amount of directinvestment that Zimbabwe gained from China was $0.602 billion, the biggest onein African. At present, a throng of Chinese enterprises are engaged in projectcontracting business in Zimbabwe, involving communications, water conservancy,power, transportation and other fields. Among the major projects newlycompleted or under construction, such as the new Vitoria Falls Airport, theexpansion of the hydropower station at southern Kariba, the expansion of Hwangepower station, and ‘Mobile one network’ national broadband network project,most of them were undertaken by Chinese enterprises.
It is true that for the time being, theoverall economic situation in Zimbabwe is still weak, and there are someuncertainties in its investment policy, which means risks do exist. But on theother hand, risks often contain opportunities. So for those enterprises thatintend to invest in Zimbabwe, they should be fully prepared to avoid risks as muchas possible and in the meanwhile seize the opportunities promptly.