The Zimbabwe Independent December 24, 2020 THE year 2020 has been a very difficult one, with the outbreak of Covid-19 hitting hard on an already ailing Zimbabwean economy.A plethora of challenges will see the economy contracting by about 4,5%, with consumer confidence remaining low while year-on-year inflation, at 401% in November, is projected to end the year at 336%, the highest in Africa. Melody Chikono Companies reported huge volume declines due to high annual inflation, which averaged 655%, while households struggled with declining buying power. This was compounded by the fact that over 50% of the population already lived in extreme poverty, even before the pandemic hit the economy.