Online Reporter
Remember Deketeke
Herald Correspondent
THE mining sector recorded a 5,6 percent growth rate in 2025, driven by strong mineral performance and sweeping policy reforms, Mines and Mining Development Minister Dr Polite Kambamura has said.
He said this at the African Mining Indaba in Cape Town.
Dr Kambamura said the growth underscores the sector’s central role in the country’s quest to attain Upper Middle-Income Economy status by 2030.
“Zimbabwe’s mining sector continues to demonstrate resilience and growth, recording a growth rate of 5,6 percent in 2025,” he said.
“This performance reflects the impact of our Government’s comprehensive and inclusive reform agenda, which reinforces mining’s central role in advancing our vision of attaining an Upper Middle-Income Economy status by 2030.”
The indaba is running under the theme “Stronger Together: Progress Through Partnerships”, which dovetails with Zimbabwe’s development philosophy.
Zimbabwe is endowed with more than 40 commercially exploitable minerals, ranging from gold and platinum group metals to lithium, rare earth elements, diamonds and base metals.
He said gold production has rebounded on the back of firm international prices and improved macro-economic stability.
“It is important to note that gold has seen a resurgence in exploration and production, supported by favourable prices which have firmed by more than 150 percent if we use 2023 as a base year,” he said.
“This resurgence is also attributable to soaring local and foreign investor confidence responding to increased stability in our fiscal and monetary regimes.”
He added that platinum prices had recovered spectacularly, while renewed interest was also being witnessed in copper, tin and silver.
On lithium, Dr Kambamura said Zimbabwe has positioned itself as a reliable partner in the global battery minerals value chain, despite depressed international prices.
“Zimbabwe’s lithium sector has attracted significant foreign direct investment, positioning the country as an emerging and reliable partner in the global battery minerals value chain,” he said.
“This is occurring despite a more than 70 percent decline in lithium carbonate prices on the global markets over the last three years.”
He said Government’s liberalised investment framework allows foreign investors to own up to 100 percent equity in mining ventures, except in the artisanal and small-scale sub-sector reserved for indigenous Zimbabweans.
“Under the leadership of His Excellency the President, Zimbabwe has undertaken comprehensive policy and institutional reforms to enhance competitiveness and improve the investment climate,” said Dr Kambamura.
“Foreign investors are permitted to own up to 100 percent equity in all mining ventures, except for artisanal and small-scale mining, which is reserved for indigenous Zimbabweans.”
He added that amendments to the Mines and Minerals Act are being finalised to strengthen investor protection and streamline licensing procedures in line with international best practice.
Minister Kambamura said Zimbabwe is moving away from the export of raw minerals.
“Our National Development Strategy prioritises beneficiation and value addition as cornerstones of industrialisation,” he said.
“In the lithium sector, we have adopted a phased approach that culminates in restrictions on exports of lithium concentrates up to the year 2027, to encourage in-country beneficiation, value addition and downstream investment.”
He said several lithium processing plants are already under construction.
He added that the Government is pursuing public-private partnerships in rail rehabilitation, road development and regional logistics corridors, while advancing conventional and renewable energy projects to support mining operations.
“Zimbabwe is therefore pursuing public-private partnerships in rail rehabilitation, road networks and regional logistics corridors, working closely with SADC partners,” he said.
“On the energy front, we are advancing both conventional and renewable power projects, including solar, hydroelectric and coal-bed methane initiatives.”
