The Impact of Social Investment on Sustainable Social Transformation in the Low - Income Communities in Harare, Zimbabwe

The study was carried out to investigate the impact of social investment on sustainable social transformation in the low income communities in Harare. It was an in – depth exploration of the relevance and applicability of social investment as development approachand solution creation mechanisms for addressing social risks and economic complexities facing the low income communities in Harare. The study employed a qualitative research approach and Case Study research design. Purposive sampling method was applied in the selection of the participants of the study who were drawn from the low income communities in the Western side of Harare Central Business District (CBD). In – depth interview and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were used to generate qualitative data, while Thematic Content Analysis was utilised to analyse data in line with the research objectives of the study. The findings of the study revealed that, with the rising social pathologies in Zimbabwe, social investment provides aneffective approach which can effectively addressing the socio – economic uncertainly and volatility impacting the low income communities around the country. The results also revealed that social investment approach holds the promise of creating sustainable and liveable cities and communities. It was recommended that solutions orientation needs to be calibrated towards a people – centred approach. Objectivity and relevance were also recommended.