Zimbabwe’s diaspora fuels real estate and agriculture boom as digital creators reshape investment trends
Zimbabwe’s diaspora community is increasingly driving investment into the country’s real estate and agricultural sectors, with social media emerging as an unlikely but powerful force behind the movement.
Across platforms such as YouTube and Instagram, a new generation of Zimbabwean digital creators is transforming how citizens abroad view opportunities back home. Through property tours, farming updates, market insights and rural development stories, content creators are helping many diaspora Zimbabweans reconsider long-term plans around investment, relocation and national contribution.
Among the most influential voices are young creators Kundai Chitima and Kelvin Birioti, whose fast-growing online platforms have become trusted sources of information for Zimbabweans living abroad. Their content provides audiences with practical, on-the-ground perspectives of life, business and development opportunities in Zimbabwe, often countering long-held negative narratives surrounding the country’s economic environment.
For many Zimbabweans in the diaspora, the impact is proving significant.
Catherine Mutisi, an accountant who spent 17 years living and working in the United Kingdom, revealed that social media content dramatically shifted her outlook on Zimbabwe. While she had already invested in two houses, a small plot of land and a business venture back home, she initially viewed those projects as passive investments rather than a pathway to permanent return.
However, after discovering Kelvin Birioti’s videos during the construction of her properties, her perspective began to change.
“Gradually, my mind and plans shifted from just visiting Zimbabwe towards wanting to permanently relocate,” she explained.
Mutisi noted that years of negative international narratives had made her hesitant about fully reconnecting with Zimbabwe. Yet the social media content she encountered presented a different reality one focused on opportunity, growth and community development.
“Previously, I was just building my houses for my family to get some money. But after watching the videos, my eyes opened,” she said.
Her experience reflects a broader trend now taking shape among Zimbabweans abroad, many of whom are reassessing their long-term future and exploring opportunities to invest in familiar communities.
UK-based Africa market entry and global expansion adviser Nyashadzashe Nguwo believes emotional ties, lifestyle considerations and the desire to contribute meaningfully to national development are becoming increasingly important motivations for diaspora returnees and investors.
“There’s a strong desire among many in the diaspora to reconnect with their roots and contribute meaningfully to national development. For some, the lower cost of living and the opportunity to build something impactful at home outweigh concerns about economic instability,” he said.
For Kelvin Birioti, the journey into content creation began after personal hardship and a search for opportunity. Raised in Chinhoyi, in northern Zimbabwe, he later enrolled at Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University before financial challenges forced him to leave school and relocate to Harare.
There, he met fellow creator Kundai Chitima and began learning the business of digital storytelling. Determined to provide practical value rather than entertainment-focused content, Birioti identified what he believed was a major gap in reliable information for Zimbabweans abroad. “I saw a gap: the diaspora community was being scammed,” he explained.
Through videos documenting real estate developments, farming projects and rural transformation stories, Birioti built a platform aimed at helping diaspora Zimbabweans make informed decisions about investments and relocation.
Chitima’s own story mirrors the realities faced by many Zimbabweans abroad. After working as a teacher in South Africa, he returned home in 2015, partly driven by frustrations over workplace inequality. “We were earning lower than my South African colleagues. I thought of my dignity and made a decision to return home,” he said.
Returning to Zimbabwe with limited financial resources and a growing family, Chitima gradually built a career in content creation while mentoring younger digital creators who now command significant online audiences.
Today, he sees his platform as both educational and protective, particularly for Zimbabweans abroad navigating investment decisions from afar. “I receive calls from people crying … they have been scammed,” he said.
His mission, he explained, is to replace uncertainty with practical, reliable information about Zimbabwe’s investment landscape and emerging opportunities.
Despite growing investment optimism among some diaspora communities, Zimbabwe continues to face serious economic challenges. According to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency, unemployment stood at 21.8 percent in the third quarter of 2024, while the majority of workers remain in the informal sector.
Youth unemployment remains especially severe, with World Bank estimates placing it at nearly 77 percent in 2025. Many young Zimbabweans continue to struggle with unstable employment, rising living costs and shrinking formal job opportunities.
For 26-year-old Susan Sibanda, navigating temporary and informal jobs has become a constant reality. “I have been switching from one casual job to the next,” she said.
The country has also witnessed the downsizing or closure of several major retailers in recent years, including Choppies, Truworths, OK Zimbabwe and N Richards, further intensifying pressure on the labour market.
Economist Tashinga Kajiva noted that migration remains a major consideration for many Zimbabweans due to economic pressures and the pursuit of better opportunities abroad.
“Zimbabwe’s economy is marked by complex and difficult dynamics. For ordinary citizens, disposable income remains low while the cost of living continues to rise,” he explained.
Even so, Zimbabwe’s economic relationship with its diaspora continues to strengthen.
Real estate experts estimate that diaspora buyers account for as much as half of high-end residential property purchases in some markets. Land prices in certain regions have reportedly increased between 20 and 30 percent annually, partly driven by foreign-based Zimbabwean investors.
Agriculture is also attracting rising diaspora interest. According to reports from the Zimbabwe Farmers Union, approximately 10 to 15 percent of new farm leases in recent years involve Zimbabweans living abroad, particularly in Mashonaland Central and Matabeleland.
Remittances continue to play a crucial role in the economy. Zimbabweans abroad reportedly sent home $2.45 billion in 2025, up from $1.7 billion in 2023, with the United Kingdom and South Africa remaining the largest sources. Much of the money is being channelled into real estate, farming and small business ventures.
For many, investing in Zimbabwe goes beyond financial gain. It represents identity, family connection and a long-term vision for rebuilding communities. Still, uncertainty remains.
While some diaspora Zimbabweans are increasingly open to investing or returning home, others remain cautious due to political tensions, governance concerns and economic instability. As a result, many continue balancing emotional attachment to Zimbabwe with the realities of life abroad.
Yet one thing is becoming increasingly clear: social media is reshaping the conversation.
Digital creators such as Kundai Chitima and Kelvin Birioti are not only influencing investment trends but also redefining how Zimbabweans abroad perceive opportunity, development and the possibility of returning home.
“For many Zimbabweans living abroad, investing back home is not just about profit, it’s about staying connected to their roots and shaping the future of their communities,” said Chitima.
