The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development has unveiled an ambitious strategic roadmap targeting between US$13 billion and US$15 billion in annual mineral exports by 2030, as Zimbabwe seeks to accelerate value addition, beneficiation and digital transformation across the mining sector.
Speaking at the Ministry’s 2026-2030 Strategic Planning Workshop in Kadoma, Permanent Secretary Pfungwa Kunaka outlined the revised projections, which will guide the mining sector’s growth trajectory under the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2).
The new target surpasses the previous US$12 billion mining industry milestone and signals a stronger focus on downstream mineral processing, domestic value retention and regulatory modernisation.
Central to the strategy is a deliberate shift away from the export of unprocessed minerals, with government prioritising value addition in key commodities such as gold, lithium, platinum group metals (PGMs) and chrome.
Kunaka said the ministry is advancing the establishment of local processing facilities and refineries to ensure Zimbabwe captures a greater share of value from its mineral resources before export.
Complementing these beneficiation efforts is an accelerated digitalisation programme, including the modernisation of the Mining Cadastre Information Management System.
The reforms are expected to address long-standing mining title disputes, streamline licensing processes and improve transparency and efficiency across the sector.
The ambitious export targets come against a backdrop of fluctuating global commodity markets and persistent domestic challenges, particularly electricity shortages that have constrained production in parts of the mining industry.
Despite these hurdles, ministry officials remain confident that increased formalisation of small-scale mining, especially in the gold sector, together with improved access to dedicated power infrastructure for large-scale operations, will support the sector’s growth ambitions.
Mining remains the cornerstone of Zimbabwe’s economy, accounting for more than 70 percent of export earnings.
Through the new strategic plan, government aims to leverage the sector’s dominant position to drive economic stability, industrialisation and sustainable growth while positioning mining as a key pillar of the country’s long-term development agenda. 
