ABSTRACT
The manufacturing sector in Zimbabwe is doubtlessly the single most important contributor to national value added to GDP and to gross capital formation; the second largest source of employment and earner of foreign exchange through exports. Zimbabwe is the largest importer and a critically important source of government revenue in terms of direct and indirect tax collections. The sector is the second largest provider of employment opportunities; the largest being agriculture. It is to be noted, however, that in a longer historical perspective, the contribution of the agricultural sector has generally been decreasing, while that of the manufacturing sector has generally been increasing. Three important events occurred since national independence, which have relevance and implications in the process of technological development. These were the issuance of the Transitional National Development Plan, the reorganization and delineation of the functions of the Ministry of Industry and Technology, and the launching of the First Five-Year National Development Plan.
