Sidumisile Mabena
Nqobile Bhebhe
BUY Zimbabwe has commended the country for recording a fourth consecutive monthly trade surplus of US$114 million in January 2026, saying the milestone reflects stronger export performance and steady progress under restoring macro-economic balance drive.
According to official data released by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStats) last week, Zimbabwe’s export earnings rose to US$969 million against imports of US$856 million, yielding a trade surplus of US$114 million for January 2026.
In a statement, Buy Zimbabwe said the development was a positive signal for the economy.
“This achievement not only underpins the stronger export performance but also points to the steady progress the nation is making towards restoring macro-economic balance and reducing imports,” it said.
The most significant contributors to the January trade surplus were the mining and agriculture sectors.
Semi-manufactures, including gold, accounted for 50 percent of total exports, reflecting both firm international prices and stronger export proceeds during the month under review.
Buy Zimbabwe Communications and Advocacy Officer Mr Elvis Masvaure praised the development as a move in the right direction, saying sustained trade surpluses were critical for economic stability.
“The trade surplus supports the current account balance and improves foreign exchange liquidity, strengthening the fiscal revenue through royalties, corporate taxes and export related charges,” he said.
He added that the positive trade balance had far-reaching implications beyond the macro-economic indicators.
Mr Masvaure also pointed out the importance of the trade surplus to employment creation in the local economy.
“This trade surplus reflects rising demand for the locally manufactured goods and minerals which not only bolster the economy but also enhances employment opportunities for the locals.”
The latest figures come at a time when authorities have been pushing for increased local production, value addition and import substitution as part of broader efforts to stabilise the economy and reduce reliance on external supplies.
Economic analyst Mr Michael Gwandu said the trade surplus, stressing the need for responsible authorities to keep the momentum going and consolidate the gains.
“The trade surplus is a step in the right direction, -the challenge now is to convert this momentum into long-term resilience by anchoring growth of local production, value addition and strategic import substitution,” he said.
Mr Gwandu also stressed the need for authorities to enact policies that broaden Zimbabwe’s export industry beyond mining and agriculture, which currently dominate export earnings.
“The sustainability of the trade surplus will depend on the broadening of the export base, increasing value addition and maintaining disciplined import management,” he added.
Online Reporter