To deepen regional integration, unlock intra-Africa trade, and position the private sector at the centre of Africa’s economic transformation, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Sheila Chikomo has reaffirmed that Statutory Instrument 5 of 2020, the ban on unbeneficiated raw material exports, remains a strategic tool to drive domestic value addition and industrial competitiveness.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
Delivering a keynote address at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) on behalf of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira, Chikomo told delegates that Zimbabwe is moving decisively away from being a mere exporter of minerals to becoming a competitive supplier of high-value manufactured goods, with innovation promotion and industrial upgrading at the heart of National Development Strategy 2 (NDS 2).
“We are moving decisively away from being a mere exporter of raw materials to becoming a competitive exporter of high-value manufactured goods,” Chikomo said. “To support this transition, we are implementing Statutory Instrument 5 of 2020, a strategic ban on the export of unbeneficiated raw materials, ensuring that our natural resources drive domestic industrialisation and local value creation.”
The Deputy Minister emphasised that NDS 2, covering 2026 to 2030, prioritises value addition and beneficiation, alongside the strengthening of industrial competitiveness, promotion of innovation, and integration of Zimbabwean industries into regional and continental value chains, particularly under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“By modernising our industries, enhancing productivity, promoting technology and production, and strengthening trade facilitation systems, we ensure that our economy contributes to the continental vision, producing goods that are competitive enough to meet the needs of a 1.3 billion population,” she said.
For the mining sector, the policy has direct operational consequences. Since SI 5 was gazetted in 2020, Zimbabwe has progressively restricted raw chrome, unprocessed lithium, and certain base metal ores. The 2023 lithium export ban triggered a wave of lithium hydroxide and spodumene processing investments in Fort Rixon, Bikita and Goromonzi, exactly the kind of domestic value addition the Deputy Minister champions.
While Chikomo did not detail operational mechanics, the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) has consolidated 17 separate agency approvals into a single statutory window. Mining investors now obtain environmental impact assessments, mining titles, tax clearances, immigration permits, and utility connections under legislated turnaround times of 1 to 30 days, down from 9–12 months previously. The Deputy Minister described these institutional reforms as “a key pillar of our broader commitment to ease of doing business and to creating a predictable investment climate.”
Chikomo positioned Zimbabwe’s value-addition drive within the AfCFTA framework, noting that tariff-free access to 1.3 billion consumers makes beneficiated minerals—ferrochrome, nickel matte, lithium hydroxide, and copper cathodes—far more attractive than raw ore exports.
“By aligning our national policies with the AfCFTA framework, we are ensuring that Zimbabwean industries do not just produce for the local market but for the wider African market,” she said.
The Deputy Minister also called for regional collaboration on transport, energy, and digital infrastructure—critical enablers for mining supply chains. She reaffirmed the government’s Vision 2030 target of upper-middle-income status, noting that mining, which contributes 13% to GDP and 73% to export earnings, must play a leading role.
“We recognise that we cannot do this alone,” Chikomo said. “Through regional connectivity, industrial competitiveness, and strategic collaboration, the attainment of upper-middle-income status is reachable.”
