As a Chartered Accountant and managing director of a professional education academy, I have spent years at the intersection of education and employment, watching thousands of young Zimbabweans make critical choices that shape their futures. The release of the 2025 O-Level results, with a national pass rate of 35.26%, has once again placed these decisions—and the vigorous debate surrounding them—into sharp focus. For every student celebrating five subjects, there are many more facing uncertainties. In a nation where the formal job market is shrinking, a new wave of technological disruption from Artificial Intelligence (AI) is emerging globally, and the vibrant informal economy employs the vast majority, what is the “right” path?
The traditional question of “university or bust” is no longer sufficient. Today, students and their guardians must navigate a more complex landscape. This article aims to move beyond the noise of social media debates and provide a balanced, data-informed perspective on the academic and vocational pathways, placing them within the stark realities of Zimbabwe’s economy and the unstoppable tide of global technological change.