Harare – Zimbabwe’s manufacturing sector has recorded significant growth, with capacity utilisation surging to 61.2 percent in the first quarter of 2026, up from 36.4 percent in 2019, Industry and Commerce Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu has said.

Delivering his address at the inaugural Zimbabwe Industrialisation Conference and Expo (ZICE) 2026 in Harare on Thursday, Minister Ndlovu said manufactured exports had grown from approximately US$360 million in 2019 to US$584 million in 2025, while the manufacturing sector’s contribution to Gross Domestic Product had risen from about 15 percent to 17.1 percent over the same period.

The two-day conference, held under the theme “Accelerating Industrialisation Through Regional Value Chains, Innovation and Trade,” brought together Government officials, captains of industry, investors, development partners and academia to deliberate on Zimbabwe’s industrial transformation agenda.

Minister Ndlovu said the progress reflected increased investment, policy consistency and growing business confidence under the Second Republic’s leadership.

He credited the policy framework established through Vision 2030, the National Development Strategy 2 (2026-2030), the Zimbabwe National Industrial Development Policy 2 (2026-2030), the Local Content Strategy (2026-2035), the Consumer Protection Policy (2026-2030) and the recently approved National Quality Policy.

“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,” Minister Ndlovu said.

He said Government was encouraged by a strong pipeline of investments under consideration in strategic sectors including cement manufacturing, fertilizer production, steel production, mining equipment manufacturing, engineering products, automotive assembly and industrial machinery.

The Minister highlighted the importance of Zimbabwe’s quality infrastructure, noting that the recently approved National Quality Policy provided a comprehensive framework for strengthening standardisation, accreditation, conformity assessment and metrology.

He also made a special request to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, on behalf of industry, to expedite the consummation of already-pronounced regulatory reforms into relevant statutes and to direct Ministries, Departments and Agencies to halt any introduction of levies and fees during this critical period.

Minister Ndlovu called for preferential procurement of quality locally manufactured products across Government and the wider public sector, saying this would provide certainty to investors, stimulate additional investment, create employment and deepen domestic value chains.

“Government is the single largest purchaser of goods and services in the economy. Every year, MDAs, State-Owned Enterprises and local authorities procure substantial quantities of furniture, steel products, cement, pharmaceuticals, uniforms, food products, electrical equipment, engineering products, stationery, vehicles, construction materials and numerous other goods,” he said.

He also noted that Zimbabwe was embracing opportunities presented by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, with increasing adoption of Artificial Intelligence, automation, robotics, digital manufacturing and advanced production systems beginning to reshape the country’s industrial landscape.

Minister Ndlovu concluded by inviting President Mnangagwa to the podium as Guest of Honour, describing him as a leader whose vision had steered Zimbabwe towards becoming a food-secure country now producing a healthy surplus that unlocks downstream opportunities in agro-processing, value addition and agricultural exports.

The conference was hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in partnership with Africa Economic Development Strategies (AEDS) and ZimTrade.