Zimbabwe is emerging from its lost decade and is ripe for growth after years of severe economic decline, says a leading business analyst.

Steven Ombati, a senior analyst at business consultancy Frontier Advisory, says Zimbabwe’s economy last year grew for the first time in about 10 years and that the country was expected to show further growth in coming years.

He said despite challenges around governance, deteriorating infrastructure and funding, Zimbabwe could not be ignored in southern Africa due to its size, geographic location and wide array of natural resources.