Online Reporter
Nqobile Bhebhe,Zimpapers Business Hub
Platinum miner, Zimplats says it maintained its focus on social investments in the 2025 financial year, directing US$0.5 million towards education, healthcare, infrastructure, and Local Enterprise Development (LED), despite a challenging global metals market.
“In the face of a subdued global metals market, we maintained our commitment to shared value by investing in strategic, high-impact social initiatives.
“In FY2025, we invested US$0.5 million in projects focused on education, healthcare, infrastructure, and Local Enterprise Development (LED) (FY2024: US$0.9 million),” Chief Executive Officer, Mr Alex Mhembere said in the group’s Integrated Annual Report.
He said access to clean and safe water remained a key priority, with targeted interventions in communities near Zimplats’ operations.
“We continued to build climate resilience and improve livelihoods by empowering smallholder farmers through skills training and sustainable agricultural practices. Our long-standing support for people with albinism further underscored our inclusive development approach,” he said.
Turning to procurement, Mr Mhembere noted a decline in local procurement, though supplier resilience remained encouraging.
“While local procurement decreased by six percent to US$50 million (FY2024:US$53 million), enterprises in our supplier development programme demonstrated resilience and innovation, positioning themselves for a stronger performance in the future.
The report notes that procurement accounts for more than 60 percent of overall expenditure and underpins the value chain from breaking ground to smelting and converting.
Its procurement approach embodies inclusivity, social values, diversity, sustainability, and responsible sourcing to ensure compliance with ESG goals aligned to global standards.
Zimplats’ local strategy for LEDs includes a programme specifically designed to engage community-based suppliers in the provision of goods and services.
“The local strategy for LEDs includes a programme specifically designed to engage local suppliers within the community for the provision of goods and services, thereby reinforcing our commitment to and contribution towards Zimbabwe’s sustainable development through environmental preservation and wealth creation for local communities,” the firm noted.
The programme provides training, financial and technical support to local suppliers to meet expected quality standards and align operations with international best practices.
“This expectation extends to our foreign business partners (vendors), who are also required to comply with national laws and regulations relating to quality, exchange controls, taxation, and regional and international trade agreements,” the report added.
