Online Reporter
Golden Sibanda in Maputo, Mozambique
THE National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) is targeting to grow its hauled tonnage from 2,03 million tonnes in 2025 to 6 million tonnes by 2030, riding on projected and sustained strong economic performance and the burgeoning mining industry.
This will, however, also depend on the national rail operator securing the expected rolling stock and critical equipment to bolster its handling capacity.
Zimbabwe remains on a solid growth trajectory, with the economy projected to expand by a conservative 5 percent this year, driven by deepening macroeconomic stability, booming mining and manufacturing sectors, and strong global commodity prices, especially for gold and platinum.
Zimbabwe expects an average annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 7 percent for the period 2026 to 2030, as outlined under its National Development Strategy 2 (NDS 2) economic blueprint.
NRZ public affairs and stakeholder relations manager Mr Andrew Kunambura said Zimbabwe’s economy was booming, mining was expanding, and agriculture was doing well, creating fertile ground for NRZ to drive volume growth.
He said this in an interview on the sidelines of the ongoing Maputo International Trade Fair (FACIM) 2026, where 20 Zimbabwean companies are exhibiting under the ZimTrade pavilion.
The fair opened on 31 August 2026 and runs until 7 September 2026. Nearly 3 000 exhibitors from over 29 countries are attending the 61st edition of FACIM 2026.
Zimbabwean exhibitors at FACIM, including small and medium enterprises, have been drawn from across key economic sectors such as agriculture, agro-processing, manufacturing, transport and logistics, engineering, forestry, tourism, distribution, and the handicraft industry.
The Zimbabwean companies, led by national trade development and promotion body ZimTrade, are participating in FACIM as part of a bold national push to expand their market footprint and increase trade exports to Mozambique.
Zimbabwe targets an annual export growth rate of at least 10 percent for goods and 15 percent for services, in its quest to reach US$14.5 billion in exports over the next five years, as part of its Vision 2030 agenda to transform into an upper-middle-income country.
Harare’s exports to Mozambique rose 4 percent, from US$255.1 million in 2024 to US$266.2 million in 2025, making Mozambique a critical regional partner. Mozambique remains one of Zimbabwe’s key trading partners and a significant market for locally manufactured and processed products.
While economic growth and output expansion across key sectors such as agriculture and mining are expected to drive NRZ volume growth, Mr Kunambura also noted the positive impact and role of the partnership with Mozambique’s CFM (Mozambique Ports and Railways).
CFM is Mozambique’s state-owned public enterprise responsible for managing and operating the country’s national railway and port systems.
“Definitely, the country’s economy is growing, the mining industry is booming, the manufacturing industry is rebounding, agriculture is up there, and we cannot afford to lag as NRZ.
“Because we export almost exclusively through Beira or Maputo (for bulky goods), the biggest share of our revenue comes from freight,” Mr Kunambura said.
NRZ and CFM work together under a revenue-sharing arrangement, where each hauls goods up to the other’s national border, and the operator responsible for the jurisdiction from the border to the final destination takes over and receives the share of revenue commensurate with the distance it covers.
Mr Kunambura acknowledged that NRZ faces several constraints to performing at optimal levels, including limited locomotives and rolling stock to meet growing demand, as well as aged equipment, but stressed that efforts were under way to resolve these challenges, with strong support from the Government.
“We simply have to up the game in terms of making sure enough rolling stock is available. There are many undertakings facilitated by us and by the shareholder that are being addressed, and we are happy that the shareholder understands that and the urgency of the matter and is willing to come on board,” he said.
According to Mr Kunambura, the volume hauled under the arrangement with CFM, from exports via the ports of Beira and Maputo in Mozambique, contributes the largest chunk of revenue generated by NRZ.
He said the bulk of the cargo moved by NRZ comprises minerals such as chrome, lithium and coal, alongside other bulk cargo imported and exported to and from Zimbabwe, or into regional markets and beyond.
