Business Reporter
The Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe has secured nine new export markets, led by fresh regional footholds for steel, coal and coke as part of an effort to diversify export destinations.
According to a report by general manager Dr Nomsa Moyo, presented at the 2025 annual general meeting last week, the market expansion drive has unlocked new trade corridors across southern and east Africa.
MMCZ is responsible for marketing all of the country’s minerals except gold and silver, which fall under the purview of Fidelity Gold Refinery, a subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. New export markets for Zimbabwean coal and coke have been secured in Malawi and Tanzania, while steel products have broken into key regional economies including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mozambique, Zambia, South Africa and Botswana, the report says.
“These achievements…strengthened trade relationships, expanded opportunities for local producers, enhanced market resilience and increased the contribution of beneficiated products, which accounted for 95 percent of total export value, reinforcing Zimbabwe’s position as a competitive and reliable supplier in global mineral markets,” Dr Moyo’s report says.
Bolstered by robust regional demand, steel exports nearly tripled to US$208,21 million during the 10 months to October 2026 – representing a 189,9 percent increase from US$71,82 million year-on-year. Meanwhile, coke sales grew 18,7 percent to reach US$179,54 million, compared to US$151,26 million previously. Beneficiated minerals accounted for 95 percent of total exports, reinforcing Zimbabwe’s position as a competitive and reliable supplier in global mineral markets.
While high-value minerals like lithium and platinum group metals continue to dominate aggregate export receipts – accounting for over 82 percent of cumulative revenue – bulk commodities such as coal, coke and processed steel are carving out an increasingly vital role within regional industrial value chains.
The entry of Zimbabwean steel into industrial hubs across the DRC, Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa and Botswana marks a major milestone for the country’s industrialisation and beneficiation push
The resurgence is heavily anchored by the coming online of mega-scale steel investments such as the Dinson Iron and Steel Company plant in Manhize, Mvuma.
With the facility operational, Zimbabwe is firmly poised to become a dominant regional steel hub, supplying heavy manufacturing, construction and infrastructural projects throughout Southern Africa.
At the same time, the strong uptake of Zimbabwean coal and coke has been heavily driven by surging energy and metallurgical demand from South Africa and wider regional markets.
The pursuit of new regional trade frontiers forms a core component of MMCZ’s risk mitigation strategy.
The report noted that while structural demand factors – such as global electrification and grid expansion – keep valuations firm, ongoing geopolitical tensions and trade restrictions continue to disrupt traditional supply chains. Addressing the shifting global trade landscape, the report cautioned that key markets such as the US and the European union have imposed high import tariffs on finished goods from China and other regions, triggering major shifts in global trade, supply chains and domestic economies.
By broadening its geographical footprint across the African Continental Free Trade Area framework and regional markets, Zimbabwe is effectively cushioning its mining sector against external trade shocks.
The report, however, cautioned that logistical bottlenecks continue to pose a threat to full market optimisation. The report specifically flagged inadequate road and railway networks to move bulk minerals as a primary operational barrier that risks making Zimbabwean products uncompetitive. To sustain the momentum of the newly opened markets, the MMCZ has prioritised enhanced regional collaboration, accelerated digital traceability systems and intensified surveillance at major ports of exit like Beitbridge and Forbes to curb illicit mineral leakages.
