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Zimbabwe generated 2 418 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity in the first quarter of 2025, reflecting a 6,1 percentage points output growth, enabling the country to significantly cut imports.
The country’s largest power plant, Hwange Power Station, accounted for 69,2 percent of the output while Kariba South Power Station, the second biggest, contributed 24,3 percent to the total production.
According to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) index of electricity generation, power generation for the quarter under review was 97, reflecting a quarter-on-quarter percentage increase of 6,1 from 91,4 in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Mrs Kuda Chiguma, the ZimStat managing director of industrial statistics, while presenting the indexes, said the country imported 305,5 GWh, reflecting an 87,4 percent decrease from 487,8 gigawatt hours imported in the fourth quarter of 2024.
“Year-on-year comparison shows a 39,6 percent decrease in electricity imported from 505,4 gigawatt hours imported in the first quarter of 2024,” she said.
Economists said reduced power imports are a result of improved domestic electricity generation, particularly from the upgraded Hwange Thermal Power Station and rising contributions from independent power producers (IPPs).
Economist Tinevimbo Shava noted that the recovery in electricity generation will bring substantial economic benefits, including cost savings and a more balanced trade position.
Mrs Chiguma highlighted that about 34 percent of the imported electricity was obtained from South Africa’s Eskom, while Mozambique’s Hydro Cahora Bassa (HCB) and Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM) provided 37,5 and 10,2 percent, respectively.
In terms of electricity distribution, she said the total volume of electricity distributed during the first quarter of 2025 was 1544 gigawatt hours, reflecting a percentage decrease of 25,9 when compared to 2084,2 gigawatt hours distributed in the fourth quarter of 2024.
The index shows that the year-on-year comparison reflects a 23,8 percent decrease in electricity distributed compared to 2026,4 gigawatt hours distributed in the first quarter of 2024.
“Manufacturing, transport and construction sectors combined received 582,8 gigawatt hours of the distributed electricity during the first quarter of 2025.
On the mineral production index, Mrs Chiguma said the platinum output index for the first quarter of 2025 was 122,3, reflecting a year-on-year decrease in the index of 16,2 percent from the fourth quarter value of 145.9.
She said the quarter-on-quarter analysis showed a 7,5 percent decrease in the index from 132,2 in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Generally, platinum production has been constrained due to lower platinum group of metals (PGM) prices as companies rationalised production.
The country currently has three PGM-producing companies, namely Zimplats, Unki and Mimosa, all majority owned by South African companies. The output index for gold in Q1 2025 was 128,9 compared to 95,3 recorded in Q1 2024, reflecting a year-on-year increase in the index of 35,3 percent.
Mrs Chiguma said the quarter-on-quarter comparison shows a percentage decrease in production of 29,3.
Gold remains Zimbabwe’s single largest export commodity, playing a pivotal role in the country’s foreign currency earnings. In 2024, the sector generated a substantial US$2,4 billion in export revenue.
Figures from Fidelity Gold Refineries show that Zimbabwe’s gold deliveries reached a total of 8 496,4 kilogrammes in Q1 2025, a substantial 40,6 percent increase compared to the 6 044,96 kg recorded in the same period of 2024. Diamond production recorded 169,6 in the first quarter of 2025 compared to 307,2 in the first quarter of 2024, and the year-on-year comparison shows a decrease in the index of 44,8 percent.
On the index, coal recorded 437,6 in the first quarter of 2025, an increase of 61,2 percent from 271,4 recorded in the first quarter of 2024.
The lithium production index for the first quarter of 2025 was 2,263.5, depicting a year-on-year decrease of 61,9 percent from 5,936.4 in the first quarter of 2024.
According to the index, production increased to 358,268 tonnes in the first quarter of 2025 from 338,038 tonnes in the fourth quarter of 2024, resulting in a quarter-on-quarter increase in the output index of 6 percent.
