Online Reporter
Tapiwanashe Mangwiro
THE cost of building materials recorded mixed movements across the three Building Material Price Index (BMPI) categories in the third quarter of 2025, according to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat), as inflation dynamics continued to reflect dual pricing and ongoing rebalancing of transactions between ZiG and the United States dollar markets.
In its latest statistical release, ZimStat reported that the ZiG-denominated BMPI quarterly rate of change for September 2025 softened to 0,1 percent, significantly down from 1 percent recorded in June.
“The ZiG Building Materials Price Index (BMPI) quarterly rate of change in September 2025 was 0,1 percent, shedding 0,9 percentage points on the June 2025 rate of 1,0 percent.
This means that prices as measured by the all items ZiG BMPI increased at an average rate of 0,1 percent from June 2025 to September 2025,” ZimStat.
ZimStat noted that glass, steel windows, cement and water-heater (roof type) were the primary drivers of the quarterly movement, while a wide cluster of items, including switch box (one gang), vinyl tiles, glazed salt piping, and several paint and electrical cable categories, remained unchanged over the quarter.
Year-on-year, however, the ZiG BMPI inflation remains elevated. The statistics office stated that the all-items ZiG BMPI rose 61,8 percent between September 2024 and September 2025.
Economists say these dual signals, sharply softened quarter-to-quarter movement but still elevated annual movement, are typical of post-currency re-denomination stabilisation patterns.
Construction sector consultant, Mr Dickson Mungate, said the numbers suggested that headline pricing momentum may be past its peak, but developers are still taking a defensive costing posture.
“The year-on-year number remains high, which shows the base is still adjusting, but a 0,1 percent quarter-to-quarter movement in ZiG terms suggests pricing has settled and suppliers are now reacting to actual demand rather than currency volatility,” Mr Mungate said.
USD pricing, meanwhile, showed an uptick, which could be a sign that US dollar-based quotations were still feeding in old input cost assumptions or were more closely tracking imported cost movements.
