Online Reporter
Mukudzei Chingwere
Senior Reporter
ZIMBABWE’s drive to promote mineral value addition is beginning to yield results, with Government stepping up efforts to maximise benefits from the global chromium boom, Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga has said.
Speaking while officially opening the Africa Chromium Week 2026 in Victoria Falls on Wednesday where he represented President Mnangagwa, the VP outlined several policy interventions, including the ban on raw chrome exports and highlighted the economic gains recorded despite initial scepticism.
Africa Chromium Week is a premier industry forum organised by the International Chromium Development Association (ICDA), which brings together leaders, producers, traders and stakeholders to discuss market trends, strategic developments and opportunities within the global chromium value chain, with a particular focus on Africa.
VP Chiwenga noted that when Government reinstated the chrome ore export ban in 2022, critics questioned whether Zimbabwe’s smelting capacity and power supply could support beneficiation, with some predicting a policy reversal.
However, Zimbabwe now operates 17 ferrochrome smelters, while ferrochrome exports reached 433 000 tonnes last year, representing a 19 percent year-on-year increase. VP Chiwenga said the country is now ranked fourth globally in chromite production and sixth in high-carbon ferrochrome, describing this as measurable progress.
“We commend the International Chromium Development Association for choosing Zimbabwe as host to this important gathering for the first time in Africa,” he said.
“This decision reflects the Association’s recognition of Government’s strides in the mining sector, particularly across the chrome value chain.
“We appreciate this endorsement and call upon industry stakeholders to respond decisively with capital deployment, technology transfer, skills development and long-term partnerships that are aligned with Zimbabwe’s industrialisation agenda.”
VP Chiwenga said the country’s move up the chromium value chain shows a declaration of intend to build.
“For decades, we exported raw ore along with other embedded minerals. With it, we exported jobs, technology, and skills embedded in beneficiation and national wealth.
“That era is over. When Government reinstated the chrome ore export ban in 2022, critics questioned our smelting capacity and power supply.
“They doubted beneficiation was viable and predicted a policy reversal. We did not retreat. Instead, we invested and scaled capacity,” he said.
VP Chiwenga added that global demand trends continue to support Zimbabwe’s strategy, citing China’s sustained industrial expansion and India’s emergence as a key market for stainless steel consumption.
The VP also noted that Europe’s carbon border adjustment mechanism is reshaping trade flows by favouring cleaner and more sustainable production systems.
He further highlighted the transformation of the global automotive sector and the growing importance of chromium in advanced materials as green hydrogen technologies develop.
VP Chiwenga said Africa must move beyond exporting raw minerals and instead focus on value addition and beneficiation, citing examples from across the continent.
He pointed to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s leadership in cobalt production, Zambia’s role as a major copper producer and Tanzania’s emergence as one of the world’s leading graphite producers.
The VP also underscored the importance of platinum group metals, noting that South Africa and Zimbabwe together account for more than 80 percent of global primary supply.
