Zimbabwe’s manufacturing sector has grown to US$8.2 billion, with rising steel production and export earnings highlighting the expanding role of domestic industrial capacity in the country’s economic transformation, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
Industry and Commerce Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu said manufacturing sector output had increased from approximately US$3.7 billion in 2018 to US$8.2 billion by the end of 2025, exceeding the Government’s initial projection of US$5 billion for the period.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Strategic Planning and Review Workshop in Bulawayo on Friday, Ndlovu said the sector had more than doubled in value in six years, with implications for Zimbabwe’s industrial base and capacity to produce goods locally.
For the mining industry, the expansion of manufacturing is particularly significant as the country seeks to strengthen domestic steel production, mineral processing and the supply of inputs required by mines and other industrial operations.
Zimbabwe produces between 50,000 and 60,000 tonnes of iron and steel products monthly, while steel export earnings reached US$137 million in the first half of 2026, surpassing the US$92.1 million recorded throughout 2025.
The figures point to growing activity in the steel industry, which supplies materials for construction, infrastructure development and industrial equipment. However, the extent to which increased domestic output will reduce mining companies’ reliance on imported steel products and other industrial inputs will depend on the range, quality and cost of locally available products.
Zimbabwe’s steel industry was historically anchored by the Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Company (ZISCO), which played a central role in the country’s industrial development before its collapse in 2008.
The country is now rebuilding its steelmaking capacity through investments such as the US$1.5 billion Dinson Iron and Steel Company (DISCO) plant at Manhize.
DISCO’s first phase has reached full utilisation, with an annual production capacity of 600,000 tonnes. The company is implementing a second-phase expansion expected to increase capacity to 1.2 million tonnes annually, bringing its planned output closer to Zimbabwe’s historical peak crude steel production of approximately one million to 1.2 million tonnes a year.
The expansion could strengthen the domestic supply of steel for mining infrastructure, processing plants and other industrial projects, although actual benefits will depend on production performance, product availability and market demand.
Ndlovu said Zimbabwe’s industrial base had changed significantly since the country’s early post-independence years, when manufacturing and the wider economy were structured around a different industrial ecosystem.
He said the Government expected the manufacturing sector to exceed US$12 billion by 2030, while the national economy is projected to surpass US$100 billion.
Manufacturing currently accounts for 6.2 per cent of Zimbabwe’s gross domestic product, according to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency.
For Zimbabwe’s mining sector, the growth of domestic manufacturing and steelmaking presents an opportunity to deepen industrial linkages beyond mineral extraction. Stronger local production could support mine development, infrastructure construction and equipment supply while creating opportunities for greater value retention within the economy.
Realising those benefits will require sustained investment in production capacity, reliable energy supplies, competitive pricing and the development of products that meet the technical requirements of mining and other industrial users.
