Zimbabwe mineral exports rebound
... as PGMs and lithium regain momentum
ANESU MASAMVU
The Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) says the country’s mineral exports rebounded in 2025, buoyed by firmer platinum group metals (PGMs) prices and rising lithium shipments, underscoring the country’s growing importance as a supplier of strategic minerals despite a volatile global commodity environment.
The State-owned minerals marketer, which handles all minerals except gold and silver, says it facilitated the sale of 4.4 million metric tonnes of minerals valued at US$3.04 billion between January and November 2025.
This represents a 10% increase in export volumes and a 9% rise in value compared with the same period in 2024.
The development was disclosed by MMCZ Acting Deputy General Manager for Marketing, Gumisayi Nenzou, at a media end-of-year briefing in Harare on Friday.
“Despite a complex global commodity environment and evolving local dynamics, MMCZ recorded steady operational performance,” Nenzou told journalists.
PGMs once again anchored the export recovery, reaffirming their position as Zimbabwe’s single largest mineral export earner. MMCZ recorded US$1.3 billion in PGM export earnings from 35,818 metric tonnes, supported primarily by firmer international prices for platinum, palladium and rhodium.
While export volumes were broadly flat year on year, the improvement in earnings highlighted the decisive role of pricing strength , rather than tonnage growth, in lifting overall export revenues.
Lithium-bearing minerals continued to deepen their footprint in Zimbabwe’s export mix, with spodumene accounting for 15.75% of total mineral export earnings during the period under review. The performance reflects Zimbabwe’s rising integration into the global battery minerals supply chain, even as the sector remains vulnerable to sharp price cycles and shifting demand dynamics.
Elsewhere, export performance was mixed.
PGM concentrates generated US$262.5 million from 65,555 metric tonnes, a steep decline from US$494.4 million recorded in the same period last year, reflecting lower export volumes and compressed margins.
By contrast, high-carbon ferrochrome emerged as another key pillar of strength. Exports generated US$333.1 million from 392,775 metric tonnes, with volumes rising 11% year on year and export values improving by 6%.
Coal-related commodities also recorded modest gains, with volumes increasing 0.7% while export revenues rose 4% to US$333 million.
The 2025 outcome marks a clear break from 2024, when MMCZ recorded a 21% increase in export volumes to 3.9 million metric tonnes but saw export earnings fall 13% from US$3 billion to US$2.6 billion as weak global prices eroded the benefits of higher production. PGMs, lithium and ferrochrome led exports then, but depressed pricing muted their overall impact.
Beyond headline sales figures, MMCZ said it has implemented operational reforms aimed at tightening oversight, improving compliance and enhancing value retention across the mineral value chain.
These include retooling government laboratories, training 31 staff members as certified drone pilots for mineral monitoring, expanding export markets across Africa, Asia and Europe, and deploying inspectors at key exit points such as Beitbridge and Forbes border posts.
Nenzou acknowledged that MMCZ had previously struggled with public engagement and transparency, signalling a shift in posture going forward.
“Historically, MMCZ has been too cautious, too quiet, or too reactive,” she said, adding that structured media engagements planned for 2026 would help entrench transparency and accountability.
With commodity prices firming and export volumes on an upward trajectory, MMCZ said it is confident of meeting its 2025 targets and sustaining momentum into 2026.
