ZIMBABWE’S drive to unlock new mineral discoveries and sustain long-term growth of its mining industry will take centre stage during Mine Entra 2026, with the Zimbabwe Chamber of Mines placing exploration and beneficiation at the heart of this year’s conference programme.
Speaking on the opening day of the premier mining, engineering and transport exhibition in Bulawayo yesterday, Zimbabwe Chamber of Mines chief executive officer Dr Isaac Kwesu said the Exploration Symposium has been deliberately positioned as one of the flagship engagements because exploration remains the foundation on which a sustainable and globally competitive mining industry is built.
From left: Chamber of Mines Chief Executive Officer Dr Isaac Kwesu, Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce Cde Raj Modi, and Minister of Industry and Commerce Cde Mangaliso Ndlovu attend the Chamber of Mines Suppliers Symposium at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre in Bulawayo yesterday.
The symposium, scheduled for today, will bring together policymakers, investors, geologists, exploration companies and international experts to deliberate on strategies to unlock exploration capital and accelerate mineral discoveries across Zimbabwe.
Vice President General (Retired) Dr Constantino Chiwenga is expected to be the guest of honour.
Dr Kwesu said the symposium seeks to address one of the most critical issues facing the mining industry: increasing investment in mineral exploration.
He said Mine Entra 2026 programmes have been arranged to capture the whole mining value chain from exploration up to beneficiation and value addition, including the support services from suppliers.
“The main objective of the Exploration Symposium is to develop strategies and policies to unlock exploration capital into the mining sector,” he said.
“Exploration is the anchor for sustained mining development which provides feedstock into beneficiation and value addition.”
He said the Chamber had invited six international speakers from successful mining jurisdictions to share global best practices and experiences that Zimbabwe can leverage to strengthen its exploration ecosystem.
“We have managed to invite six international speakers to share their experiences in successful mining jurisdictions,” said Dr Kwesu.
The symposium comes at a time when Zimbabwe is intensifying efforts to maximise value from its vast mineral endowment under the Second Republic’s mining-led economic transformation agenda.
Despite being endowed with more than 60 commercially exploitable minerals, industry experts say large parts of Zimbabwe remain under-explored, presenting enormous opportunities for discoveries in gold, lithium, platinum group metals, chrome, rare earth minerals, base metals and critical minerals that are in demand globally.
Exploration is widely regarded as the lifeblood of the mining industry because it identifies new mineral deposits that ultimately become future mines.
Without continuous exploration, existing mines gradually deplete their reserves, leading to declining production, reduced exports, fewer investment opportunities and job losses. Discoveries, on the other hand, extend the life of the mining sector by creating future projects, attracting fresh investment and ensuring a steady supply of ore for processing, beneficiation and value addition industries.
Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga
Increased exploration is expected to support the Government’s ambitions of expanding mineral output, deepening local value chains and increasing export earnings. Successful exploration also strengthens investor confidence by generating reliable geological data, reducing investment risk and creating bankable mining projects capable of attracting long-term capital.
The focus on exploration is expected to complement other Mine Entra symposiums covering suppliers, energy and infrastructure as well as beneficiation and value addition, creating an integrated discussion around strengthening the entire mining value chain.
On the inaugural beneficiation symposium, Dr Kwesu said: “This symposium is a direct response to the growing calls for increased beneficiation of the country’s mineral resources and the new Government thrust of maximising the contribution of the mining sector through full beneficiation of mineral resources.”
Running under the theme of building a stronger and more competitive mining industry, Mine Entra 2026 is expected to draw mining executives, investors, equipment manufacturers, service providers, financiers and policymakers from Zimbabwe and abroad.
The exploration and beneficiation symposiums form part of Mine Entra 2026’s broader conference programme, which also includes the Suppliers, Energy and Infrastructure Symposium and the Main Mine Entra Conference.
President Mnangagwa is expected to officially open Mine Entra on Friday, underscoring Government’s commitment to positioning mining as a key driver of industrialisation, export growth and sustainable economic transformation.
The discussions at the difference conferences are expected to produce policy recommendations that will help build a more integrated, value-driven and globally competitive mining industry capable of delivering greater economic benefits to Zimbabwe.-nesday
