President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said Zimbabwe will intensify efforts to process its minerals locally rather than export them in raw form, as part of a broader strategy to strengthen export earnings and support industrial development.
Speaking at an annual exporters conference in Bulawayo on 20 February, Mnangagwa stated that the government’s policy direction in the mining sector is focused on beneficiation, downstream industries and stronger economic linkages. He said Zimbabwe’s growth should be anchored in producing and processing more of its natural resources for export.
Zimbabwe is endowed with significant deposits of gold, platinum group metals, lithium and chrome. According to the World Bank overview of Zimbabwe, mining accounts for more than 70 percent of the country’s export earnings and remains a key source of foreign currency. Gold has historically been the leading mineral export, while platinum and chrome have also contributed substantially to revenues, as noted in research by Dube and by Malinga. In recent years, lithium production has expanded in response to global demand linked to battery manufacturing.
The government’s emphasis on value addition reflects a policy position that has featured in national and continental frameworks for over a decade. The African Union’s Africa Mining Vision calls for mineral resources to be used to support industrialisation and structural transformation across the continent. Mavhunga observes that several African states, including Zimbabwe, have explored measures aimed at limiting the export of unprocessed minerals in order to promote domestic industry.
In Zimbabwe, policy discussions around beneficiation have covered platinum, chrome and lithium. Mamina, Maganga and Dzwiti examine the country’s comparative advantage in platinum and chrome value chains, while Mkodzongi analyses the potential for lithium to contribute more directly to national economic development. Recent legislative and policy reviews, including those discussed by Mutlokwa and Okoloise, have considered how regulation can support local processing while addressing environmental and governance concerns.
Government measures have included export controls on certain minerals. A 2025 working paper by von Haldenwang and colleagues notes that Zimbabwe implemented a ban on the export of unprocessed lithium ore in an effort to promote domestic processing and enhance industrial capacity. Similar debates have taken place in relation to platinum refining and chrome smelting.
Researchers have also highlighted the practical requirements for beneficiation. Jourdan and co authors, in a mining sector policy study, point to infrastructure, energy supply and investment as key considerations. Binha’s study of Zimbabwe’s platinum sector notes that sustainability and competitiveness depend on stable policy and adequate capital. Mawowa situates current policy within Zimbabwe’s broader political economy, observing that mining has long been central to national development strategies.
Regionally, Zimbabwe forms part of what Matsa and colleagues describe as the Rand Great Dyke Copper Belt Katanga mineral resources axis, linking several Southern African economies with significant mineral endowments. Scholars such as Gudyanga argue that coordinated regional approaches could enhance prospects for mineral based industrialisation across the continent.
At the Bulawayo conference, Mnangagwa urged exporters to develop local products into globally recognised brands and to deepen linkages between mining and other sectors of the economy. He said Zimbabwe’s export growth should be rooted in its natural resource base as well as in domestic skills and enterprise.
While the long term impact of expanded beneficiation will depend on implementation, infrastructure and market conditions, the government’s stated objective is to retain a greater share of mineral value within the country and to position Zimbabwe more firmly within regional and global value chains.
