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President Emmerson Mnangagwa has called on private-sector investors to accelerate investment in mineral beneficiation, battery materials and manufacturing, as Zimbabwe seeks to retain more value from its mineral resources and strengthen its position in regional industrial supply chains, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
Officially opening the 19th COMESA Business Forum in Harare on Tuesday, Mnangagwa said increased investment in critical minerals, energy, industrialisation and human capital was essential to expanding productive capacity and deepening regional economic integration.
“The need for increased investments in agriculture, critical minerals, energy resources, industrialisation and human capital development cannot be over-emphasised,” he said.
For Zimbabwe’s mining sector, the call reinforces the Government’s policy direction towards processing minerals locally rather than relying predominantly on exports of raw materials. The President specifically cited the restrictions introduced in December 2022 on exports of unbeneficiated lithium-bearing ore as part of efforts to accelerate industrialisation and retain value within the country.
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“This was done in alignment with our determination to accelerate industrialisation and retain value at source,” Mnangagwa said.
He urged private-sector players to move beyond commodity exports and invest in value addition, beneficiation and manufacturing, identifying battery materials and clean-energy technologies as areas with potential to support new industrial activity.
The emphasis comes as mineral-producing countries across Africa seek to capture a greater share of the value generated between extraction and the manufacture of finished products. For Zimbabwe, this presents opportunities to expand domestic mineral processing and develop downstream industries, although the scale of investment required will depend on commercially viable projects, infrastructure and access to markets.
Regional partnerships key to beneficiation
Mnangagwa said mineral and industrial investments should not be developed as isolated national projects, arguing that stronger cross-border partnerships could help countries build interconnected production and supply chains.
“We remain committed to mutually beneficial partnerships that expand production, trade and investment across our region,” he said.
The approach places regional cooperation at the centre of efforts to develop mineral value chains, particularly in sectors requiring substantial investment, specialised technology and access to wider markets.
Through the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Zimbabwe and other member states have an established framework for strengthening trade and investment links. The President called for greater productive capacity, the removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers, and harmonised trade procedures, while urging businesses to take advantage of opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
For mining companies and prospective investors, more efficient regional trade arrangements could support the movement of processing equipment, industrial inputs and mineral products across borders. However, turning these opportunities into operating businesses will require investment in processing capacity and the infrastructure needed to sustain competitive production.
Investment conditions remain critical
While Zimbabwe’s beneficiation policy seeks to encourage investment in domestic processing, the development of competitive mineral value chains also depends on reliable and affordable electricity, access to capital, suitable technology and stable operating conditions.
These factors are particularly important for energy-intensive mineral processing and manufacturing, where production costs can determine whether projects remain commercially viable.
Regional partnerships could help expand access to markets, technology and financing, but the call for beneficiation will ultimately need to translate into investments that can operate competitively and sustain production.
Mnangagwa also highlighted the need to improve transport corridors and trade facilitation, citing the modernisation of Beitbridge Border Post and the upgrading of the Chirundu One-Stop Border Post as efforts to improve the movement of goods across borders.
He said borders should function as gateways to markets rather than bottlenecks to trade, a consideration for mining companies that depend on cross-border supply chains and the movement of mineral products.
Zimbabwe is hosting the forum under the theme, “One Market, One Future: Advancing Inclusive Industrialisation, Investment and Regional Integration in COMESA.” The business gathering precedes the 25th COMESA Summit of Heads of State and Government.
For Zimbabwe’s mining industry, the central challenge is converting the region’s mineral endowment into competitive processing and manufacturing capacity, supported by investment, infrastructure and access to regional markets.