HARARE, Jul. 17 (NewsDay Live) – Zimbabwe’s mineral exports marketed through the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) rose 84% to US$2.532 billion in the first half of 2026 from US$1.376 billion a year earlier, driven by stronger global demand, firmer commodity prices and increased exports of value-added mineral products.
The State-owned mineral marketing agency attributed the surge to the government’s beneficiation and value-addition policy, which is encouraging the export of processed minerals rather than raw ores.
MMCZ general manager Nomusa Jane Moyo said the performance underscored the impact of the policy and positioned the corporation to exceed its annual revenue target.
“The US$2.532 billion recorded demonstrates the impact of the beneficiation and value addition policy. Based on the market trends and performance of our key mineral commodities, we are confident of surpassing our projected annual revenue this year,” Moyo said in a statement.
Platinum group metal (PGM) matte remained Zimbabwe’s largest mineral export, contributing 33.93% of total export earnings. Spodumene concentrates accounted for 26.57%, while PGM concentrates made up 13.73%.
Combined, the three products generated more than 74% of total mineral export revenue, highlighting Zimbabwe’s growing role as a supplier of platinum group metals and battery minerals.
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MMCZ said lithium sulphate had emerged as a key value-added export following increased domestic processing, enabling the country to capture more value from the global battery minerals supply chain.
“The Corporation views this development as an important step towards establishing Zimbabwe as a regional hub for battery mineral processing,” Moyo said.
She said the country’s mining industry was steadily transitioning from exporting raw minerals to higher-value processed products.
“The results confirm that success in the mineral sector is no longer measured simply by export volumes, but by the value realised from every tonne exported. We are increasingly exporting products such as ferrochrome, steel, polished granite slabs and lithium sulphate, which command significantly higher values than unprocessed minerals. This aligns with Government’s Vision 2030 objective of accelerating beneficiation, industrialisation and sustainable economic growth,” Moyo said.
The corporation said it was also strengthening mineral accountability through enhanced contract monitoring, price verification, mineral valuation and inspection systems, while investing in digital platforms and laboratory capacity to improve transparency and safeguard mineral revenues.