ZIMBABWE’S manufactured exports are steadily moving up the value chain as the country shifts from raw commodity exports to value‑added products, driving export earnings and economic complexity.
Speaking at the ZimTrade Annual Exporters Conference in Bulawayo on Friday, Industry and Commerce Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu said manufactured exports have risen consistently over the past seven years.
“In 2018, manufactured exports stood at approximately US$310 million, with locally produced goods occupying just 53 percent of the retail shelf space and a capacity utilisation of 48,2 percent.
“Through a number of key Government interventions, manufactured exports rose to US$437 million in 2024 and further to US$571 million in 2025, representing a 41 percent and 30,6 percent increase, respectively. Capacity utilisation rose to about 57 percent in 2025,” he said.
“While manufactured exports still account for a modest share of total exports, this growth supports the Second Republic’s industrialisation thrust, which seeks to shift the country from exporting raw commodities to more processed and manufactured products.”
He noted that approximately 80 percent of goods on shelves are now locally produced, with roots “deep and the branches finally reaching across borders.”
The minister said his ministry was not resting on these milestones.
“We are accelerating the implementation of our economic blueprint, the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), which seeks to enhance value addition and structural transformation to reverse the trends of exporting raw material commodities and to be augmented by our Zimbabwe National Industrial Development Policy 2, which will be launched soon,” he added.
“Our target is to increase manufactured exports to US$1 billion by 2027, creating new jobs in the process. We are also implementing robust measures to ensure the manufacturing and commercial sectors become the bedrock of our foreign currency earnings.”
To ensure industries remain rooted locally while growing globally, he said procurement was being prioritised through the Local Content Strategy, mandating Ministries, Departments and Agencies to source materials from domestic suppliers.
Ndlovu added that all new regulatory fees are now subject to Regulatory Impact Assessments by the National Competitiveness Commission to avoid undue burdens on local businesses.
“Ultimately, we are focusing on productivity‑led growth, shifting from a factor‑driven economy to one fuelled by efficiency and innovation. We owe much of this momentum to President Mnangagwa’s visionary leadership.
“I wish to express our deepest gratitude for his directive in fostering the ease of doing business reforms last year. His mandate that all regulatory and compliance costs be reduced across all sectors is a game‑changer for our exporters,” he said.
He confirmed that reforms ordered by the President are being implemented by the first quarter of 2026, lowering the cost of doing business and enhancing the viability of local industries to compete globally.
“Quality and standards remain a prerequisite for our competitive advantage in the global market and we are working through the Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ) to ensure our companies meet international certification,” he added.
“We must also address the technological gap. In the era of artificial intelligence (AI), our exporters must embrace automation and digital marketing to remain relevant. We cannot use yesterday’s tools to win tomorrow’s markets. While we celebrate, we must also interrogate the hurdles that continue to inhibit our full potential in manufactured exports.”
He said the composition of exports in 2025 shows that over 80 percent consisted of raw and semi‑processed minerals and tobacco, meaning the country still exports little in the way of value‑added products.
“We are putting in place measures to increase our value addition capacity under a Whole‑of‑Government Approach, which will soon be presented to Cabinet. This includes the domestication of fertiliser production, strengthening of various agro‑value chains including sugar, dairy and leather, as well as collaborating with the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development for both local procurement and beneficiation of minerals,” he said. He urged exporters to expand manufacturing capacity with an eye beyond Zimbabwe’s relatively small domestic market of 16 million people.
“We must unlock new markets, and as a ministry, we will work closely with ZimTrade to advance its primary mandate of opening new export markets, particularly for value‑added products.
“As we deliberate, let us remember that every crate of processed food and every piece of Zimbabwean furniture sold abroad is a brick in the wall of Vision 2030. Let us remain rooted locally in our heritage and resources, while being relentless in growing globally,” he said.-herald
