Zimbabwe’s mineral sales marketed through the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) rose 107.9% to US$5.013 billion between January 1 and October 27, 2026, from US$2.411 billion recorded over the comparable period last year, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
The figures, contained in an MMCZ trading update following its Annual General Meeting, were largely driven by lithium products and platinum group metals (PGMs), which together accounted for US$4.103 billion, or 81.9% of total sales.
Lithium products generated US$2.310 billion, representing 46.1% of the total, with spodumene concentrate contributing US$1.924 billion. The period also recorded sales of lithium sulphate, although the update’s figures would need to establish the scale of these transactions to assess their contribution to the sector’s beneficiation drive.
PGMs generated US$1.793 billion through matte and concentrates, accounting for 35.8% of mineral sales.
The concentration of sales in lithium and PGMs highlights their importance to Zimbabwe’s mineral marketing performance, while other commodities also recorded gains.
High-carbon ferrochrome sales reached US$286.54 million, while steel sales rose to US$208.21 million. Diamond sales increased 249.9% to US$71.61 million, according to the update.
The five leading products—spodumene concentrate, PGM matte, PGM concentrates, high-carbon ferrochrome and steel—accounted for 84% of total sales during the period.
The performance comes as Zimbabwe seeks to capture more value from its mineral resources through local processing and beneficiation. The recorded sale of lithium sulphate adds a further development to the country’s lithium value chain, although the available figures do not establish the scale of production or the extent of additional value retained locally.
The outlook for the remaining months of the year remains sensitive to international commodity markets. MMCZ expects lithium prices to remain under pressure amid recovering Chinese supply, while PGM prices could receive support from restocking by Chinese smelters. Chrome and steel markets are expected to remain cautiously supportive.
The figures cover the period to October 27 and therefore do not represent full-year 2026 sales.
MMCZ markets and exports minerals produced in Zimbabwe within its statutory mandate, with gold and silver excluded from its stated remit.
