Zimbabwe’s manufacturing sector is continuing its post-recovery momentum, with capacity utilisation reaching 61.2% this year, up from 36.4% in 2019, Industry and Commerce Minister Mangaliso Ndhlovu has revealed.

Speaking at the inaugural Zimbabwe Industrialisation Conference and Expo (ZICE) 2026 in Harare, Minister Ndhlovu said the capacity utilisation is driven by increased production, better capacity use, and renewed investor confidence.

He added that the manufacturing sector’s contribution to the country’s gross domestic product has risen to 17.1%, compared to approximately 15% in 2019.

The Minister said the positive trajectory is further supported by growth in manufactured exports, which reached US$584 million in 2025, up from US$360 million in 2019.

Minister Ndhlovu attributed the growth to a deliberate policy shift toward domestic value addition and away from the export of unrefined raw materials.

“This growth is particularly significant because it reflects our deliberate shift from exporting raw materials towards producing higher-value manufactured goods that generate greater foreign currency earnings, create quality employment and stimulate industrial expansion,” Ndhlovu said.

“These achievements are not isolated statistics. They represent factories that have resumed production, businesses that have expanded operations, new investments that have come into our economy, workers who have found employment and investors who have shown great confidence in Zimbabwe’s economic future.”

He pointed to a growing pipeline of upcoming investments across major industrial segments, including cement manufacturing, fertiliser production, steel production, mining equipment, automotive assembly, and industrial machinery.

To sustain this growth, the Minister highlighted the government’s policy framework, including the National Development Strategy 2 (2026–2030), the Zimbabwe National Industrial Development Policy 2 (2026–2030), the Local Content Strategy (2026–2035), and the newly approved National Quality Policy.

He noted that technological adoption, particularly under the National Artificial Intelligence Policy, is beginning to reshape local production systems through automation, robotics, and digital manufacturing.