Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has called for increased local manufacturing, mineral beneficiation and value-added exports to transform the country into a competitive regional industrial hub.
Speaking at the inaugural two-day Zimbabwe Industrialization Conference and Expo (ZICE) in Harare on Thursday, July 23, Mnangagwa stressed the importance of processing the country’s natural resources into high-value products to create jobs, generate wealth and improve social and economic development.
He identified priority sectors including iron and steel, lithium, cement, pharmaceuticals, agricultural processing, tobacco, leather, cotton, fertilizers, dairy, oilseed processing, sugar, grains, logistics and packaging.
The President said the Government would continue improving the investment climate, strengthen financing mechanisms and mobilize capital to support productive industries. He also urged the mining sector to accelerate mineral beneficiation to maximize the value of Zimbabwe’s strategic mineral resources.
Held under the theme “Accelerating Industrialization Through Regional Value Chains, Innovation and Trade,” the conference aims to attract investment and strengthen industrial partnerships. Zimbabwe’s Cabinet in March approved a ban on exports of raw minerals and lithium concentrates as part of efforts to promote local value addition.