Mining, agric maintain grip as Zim exports top earners
ZIMBABWE’S agro-industrial and mineral commodities continue to maintain the grip as the country’s top export drivers further confirming agriculture and mining as the economic mainstays in meeting the national development agenda.
Under Vision 2030, the Second Republic aims to achieve an upper middle-income economy with a Gross Domestic Product per capita of US$3 500.
To set the tone towards an upper middle-income status, the Government has proclaimed the National Development Strategy 1, a five-year economic blue print, which is already being implemented and running from 2021-2025.
Driving the envisaged economic growth projections under NDS1, is the mining industry which is expected to attain a US$12 billion milestone by 2023 while the contribution from the agriculture sector would be US$1,9 billion by 2025.
Latest data on external trade availed by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat) show that in November 2021, the country’s main exports were tobacco (32,2 percent) and semi-manufactured gold (21,5 percent).
Constituting Zimbabwe’s major exports also are nickel ores and concentrates at 14 percent of Zimbabwe’s total exports during the month under review while nickel mattes including platinum group of minerals (PGMs) contributed 12,7 percent, ferro-chromium (4,8 percent), platinum unwrought or in powder form (three percent) and cotton (2,5 percent).
“It was noted that major minerals produced in the country such as nickel concentrates and nickel mattes were exported in a semi-processed form, while nickel ores (including PGMs) are exported in a raw form.
