Govt’s move to accelerate mineral value addition

Yesterday, Mines and Mining Development Minister Dr Polite Kambamura announced a bold move, suspending all raw mineral exports, signaling Zimbabwe’s renewed commitment to value addition and industrial transformation.

The government’s move is a clarion call for the mining sector to take the mineral value addition seriously.

For decades, Zimbabwe has exported raw minerals, forfeiting millions in potential revenue and enabling smuggling networks to thrive.

By limiting exports to companies with approved beneficiation capacity and valid mining titles, authorities are making it clear that the country’s mineral wealth must serve national development, not just immediate profits.

The suspension presents both a challenge and an opportunity.

Mining companies are now required to invest in processing and refining capabilities, creating jobs, boosting industrial output, and retaining more value domestically.

For Zimbabwe, the policy offers a chance to strengthen regulatory oversight and curb financial leakages that have long undermined the sector.

The country has rich deposits of lithium, gold, and other high-demand minerals.

Accelerating local value addition allows Zimbabwe to capture downstream benefits, from higher export revenues to technology transfer and skills development. It aligns with global best practice, where resource-rich nations leverage their minerals to drive broad economic growth.

The policy also underscores the government’s insistence on transparency and accountability.

With ZIMRA, the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ), and other regulators empowered to enforce strict export requirements, the era of lax oversight and uncontrolled mineral exports may finally be over. Compliance is no longer optional, it is central to sustaining Zimbabwe’s credibility in international markets.

If fully implemented, this policy could mark a watershed moment for the mining industry.

Beyond immediate fiscal gains, it is a strategic step toward industrialisation, value chain development, and long-term economic resilience.

The ball is now in the industry’s court, embrace beneficiation, invest in capacity, and prove that Zimbabwe’s minerals can deliver not only raw revenue, but inclusive growth and national prosperity.