BULAWAYO – Zimbabwe’s mining industry has posted a mixed performance in 2025, with gold production surging while key minerals such as platinum, lithium, and nickel recorded steep declines — even as sector leaders push for value addition and sustainability to stabilise long-term growth.
According to the latest Smart Mining Sector report and remarks by Chamber of Mines president John Musekiwa at last week’s MineEntra Expo in Bulawayo, gold output soared by 44 percent, cementing its role as the backbone of Zimbabwe’s mineral exports.
Coal production also grew 4 percent, driven by fresh investment and increased regional energy demand.
However, the report noted sharp declines in other minerals — with platinum output dropping 7 percent, palladium 8 percent, rhodium 2 percent, lithium 45 percent, and nickel 17 percent. The uneven performance forced the government to revise its overall mining growth forecast from 5.6 percent to 2.9 percent.
Despite these setbacks, the sector’s export earnings jumped 28 percent to US$3.2 billion, largely on the back of strong gold and diamond sales.
Zimbabwe now contributes about 3.5 percent of global gold output, maintaining its position as one of Africa’s key producers despite domestic challenges such as power shortages, high operating costs, and smuggling.
Musekiwa said the sector’s resilience demonstrates its importance to national development, contributing 14.5 percent to GDP and 76 percent of total export earnings. But he stressed that future growth depends on beneficiation, local content, and technological innovation.
“Industry players are now working towards establishing refining capacity, and despite temporary price pressures on some metals, the medium- to long-term prospects remain positive,” he said.
“Beneficiation across gold, lithium, PGMs, ferrochrome, and coal will be key to industrial transformation.”
Musekiwa also commended the progress of the Smart Mining Programme, which uses automation and digital tracking to enhance transparency and efficiency in mineral production. He said the Chamber was supporting government efforts to integrate technology-driven solutions that reduce leakages and promote accountability.
“The adoption of smart mining systems aligns with our sustainability agenda and ensures that the value created in mining is widely shared,” he said.
He further noted that mining companies are increasingly investing in solar power plants to supplement grid electricity and that the Chamber has rolled out a voluntary ESG framework based on the Global Reporting Initiative to guide responsible mining practices.
Analysts say the sector’s uneven growth underscores the urgent need for policy consistency, reliable energy supply, and stable investment conditions.
“Zimbabwe’s mining future depends not just on extracting minerals,” Musekiwa concluded, “but on transforming them into opportunities that power inclusive, sustainable growth.”
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