GOVERNMENT plans to establish a dedicated social registry office in Nkayi, Matabeleland North province, as part of efforts to improve targeting of social protection programmes and ensure assistance reaches the most vulnerable households.
The Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare ministry said the social registry would serve as a centralised database designed to identify and profile vulnerable individuals and families across the country.
The establishment of a local office in Nkayi is intended to support the pilot phase and facilitate community engagement, data collection and co-ordination on the ground.
“A social registry is a database that helps government to easily identify the most vulnerable individuals in our communities,” the ministry said.
“It is a way to gather information about vulnerable individuals or families so that support reaches those who need it most.”
It said the initiative was being implemented in collaboration with the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat), with enumerators currently collecting data on households in Nkayi as part of the pilot phase.
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“The Zimbabwe Social Registry is being piloted in Nkayi district, where enumerators are actively gathering data within communities to build a comprehensive and reliable database.”
According to the ministry, the registry is expected to strengthen the country’s social protection system by enhancing efficiency, transparency and fairness in the distribution of assistance.
“It is a safety net that ensures the right help gets to the right people at the right time without any form of discrimination.”
The ministry added that the registry would support evidence-based decision-making and improve co-ordination across government programmes targeting vulnerable groups.
“By consolidating information in one platform, the Zimbabwe Social Registry will enable better planning, reduce duplication of assistance and improve the overall effectiveness of social protection interventions,” it said
Lessons from the Nkayi pilot will inform the national rollout of the programme, with expectations that the system will be expanded to other districts in due course.
“The pilot phase will provide critical insights into data collection processes, community engagement and system functionality, which will guide the scaling up of the registry nationwide.
“We encourage communities to co-operate with enumerators and provide accurate information, as this will help Government design and deliver more responsive social protection programmes.”
Social registries are widely used globally as tools for managing social protection programmes, enabling governments to efficiently identify beneficiaries and allocate resources to those most in need.