Midlands: Fastest growing province in Zim

Business Writer

Midlands was the fastest-growing province in the country last year after recording GDP growth of 10.9 percent, latest statistics from the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency show.

The province was one of the four provinces that grew above the country’s overall GDP growth rate of 6,5 percent.

The other provinces that recorded above-average growth rates are Harare (7,5 percent), Masvingo (7,3 percent) and Matabeleland North (8,7 percent).

The least growing province was Mashonaland West managing just 4,2 percent.

The growth rate in Midlands helped push Zimbabwe’s 2022 overall GDP growth rate of 6,5 percent described by Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube as “among the fastest growing economies in Africa”.

While ZimStat did not disclose what drove the growth in Midlands, economic activity in the province is dominated by the mining sector which accounts for 27,7 percent of the overall provincial GDP.

Midlands is home to mines such as Mimosa, Unki Mines, Zimasco, Murowa Diamond and the resuscitated Sabi Gold Mine.

It is also home to the US$1 billion Dinson Iron and Steel Plant under construction in Manhidze area of Chirumhanzu.

Developments at these mines could be behind the phenomenal economic growth in the province.

The Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles sector followed with a contribution of 14,3 percent, while Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing accounted for 12,2 percent of the provincial GDP.

Meanwhile, the Wholesale and Retail Trade, Agriculture, and Mining sector remained the mainstay economic activities in most provinces of the country, according to Zimstat.

The Wholesale and Retail Trade sector dominated in three provinces namely Harare, Masvingo and Bulawayo. The sector also came second in four provinces.

The mining sector on the other hand dominated in Mashonaland West, Midlands, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South.

The agriculture sector dominated in Manicaland, Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland East.
Harare remained the country’s biggest province by GDP contribution.

According to ZimStat, Harare with GDP worth $3 trillion contributed 22,8 percent of the national GDP while Bulawayo (12,7 percent) and Mashonaland West (12,3 percent) came second and third respectively.

Midlands contributed 10,8 percent.

The contributions of the rest of the provinces were below 10 percent.