What the WEF Global Risks Report 2026 Means for Zimbabwe

The World Economic Forum's (WEF) Global Risks Report 2026 delivers a powerful message: we have entered what it calls an "age of competition," where geopolitical tensions, economic fragility, and technological disruption converge to create unprecedented uncertainty. Based on insights from over 1,300 global leaders and experts, the findings are stark; half anticipate a turbulent global outlook over the next two years, while 57% expect similar volatility across the decade.

For Zimbabwe and Southern Africa, this is a strategic early-warning signal with direct implications for political stability, economic performance, investment confidence, and social cohesion.

The Misinformation Crisis: From Fifth Threat to First Priority

Among the report's most striking revelations is the elevation of misinformation and disinformation to the fifth-ranked global risk for 2026 and second in severity over the next two years. This placement, ahead of climate risks, economic downturn, and even cyber insecurity in terms of immediacy, reflects a fundamental shift in how global leaders understand modern risk.

Source: World Economic Forum Global Risk Perception Survey 2025 - 2026

Misinformation is no longer a peripheral communications challenge. It has become a core threat multiplier that accelerates other risks, from interstate conflict to economic instability and democratic backsliding. The report situates information integrity alongside AI governance and cyber resilience as foundational to national and institutional survival.

As Trevor Ncube, Founder of Trevor & Associates, notes: "Information integrity is now a core pillar of corporate, brand and national resilience, not merely a media or communications issue."

The Zimbabwe Context

The global findings take on particular urgency when viewed through a Zimbabwean lens. Several factors amplify the threat locally:

Political Volatility and Electoral Credibility

In politically contested environments, false narratives can inflame tensions overnight, undermine electoral legitimacy, and erode public confidence in democratic institutions. Both domestic and externally influenced disinformation campaigns can rapidly shape perception and behaviour, with lasting consequences.

Economic Fragility and Investor Confidence

Zimbabwe's economy remains acutely sensitive to sentiment. Rumours or false information about policy shifts, currency stability, or regulatory changes can trigger immediate market volatility, capital flight, and investor hesitation. In such an environment, what is said matters as much as what is done.

Digital Acceleration Without Media Literacy

High mobile and social media penetration, combined with uneven media literacy across all demographic segments, creates a perfect storm. Information, accurate or otherwise, spreads faster than institutions can respond. Even senior executives often lack the tools to navigate this landscape effectively, leaving organisations exposed to reputational risk.

The Trust Deficit

Where institutional trust is already strained, misinformation fills the void. It reinforces cynicism, undermines brand integrity, and deepens societal polarisation. For businesses and governments alike, credibility becomes the scarcest currency.

Regional Implications: A Borderless Threat

Across Southern Africa, similar dynamics are intensifying. Information flows rarely respect national boundaries, and disinformation linked to elections, migration, public health, or climate shocks quickly becomes a regional concern. In contexts marked by economic pressure, youth unemployment, and climate stress, misinformation acts as a force multiplier, exacerbating instability, fuelling xenophobia, and weakening regional cooperation.

From Awareness to Action: The Strategic Response

The WEF report makes clear that communication strategy is no longer a support function; it is a core element of risk management and competitive advantage. Organisations that understand this are building resilience through:

• Proactive narrative management: Shaping stories before they shape you

• Real-time monitoring of information ecosystems: Understanding what is being said, where, and by whom

• Crisis communication preparedness: Responding with speed, clarity, and credibility when it matters most

• Alignment between policy and messaging: Ensuring what you do matches what you say

• Building institutional credibility: Transparency and consistency as strategic tools

For governments, corporates, development partners, and civil society organisations, the implication is unambiguous: those who master information integrity will navigate this decade's turbulence; those who ignore it will be shaped by it.

The Trevor & Associates Advantage

Trevor & Associates brings internationally informed expertise to Zimbabwe and Southern Africa's most complex communication challenges. With a network of associates across multiple territories and deep local knowledge, the consultancy is positioned to help clients navigate the intersection of geopolitical risk, digital disruption, and reputational management.

"We have associates in a strong position to help clients navigate the risks surfaced by the WEF Survey," says Ncube. This capability extends across strategic communications, public affairs, lobbying, crisis management, and stakeholder engagement, services that are no longer optional in an age where information is weaponised and credibility is contested.

The Age of Competition Demands New Capabilities

The Global Risks Report 2026 confirms what many have sensed, but few have quantified: misinformation and disinformation are central to how power is contested, how economies function, and how societies hold together. For Zimbabwe and Southern Africa, the challenge extends beyond merely responding to false information. It requires building trusted, strategic communication systems that enhance resilience in an increasingly volatile world.

The question for leaders across sectors is no longer whether to invest in sophisticated communication capabilities, but how quickly they can do so, and with whom.

Trevor & Associates provides strategic communications, public affairs, lobbying, climate resilience and crisis management services to governments, corporates, and development organisations across Zimbabwe, Southern Africa, and beyond.

Contact: trevorandassociates.com