President Emmerson Mnangagwa says the country’s economy is on a firm growth path projecting a 6.6% expansion in 2025 reinforced by strong agricultural recovery rising mining output and renewed industrialisation.
Delivering the State of the Nation Address (SONA) during the official opening of the Third Session of the Tenth Parliament in Harare, President Mnangagwa said the counrty’s economic resilience in the face of Western sanctions continued to inspire national progress.
“The unity, peace and resilience of our people have been the pillar of economic development of our country in the face of illegal sanctions. Let us remain focused and disciplined as we entrench economic stability and growth in our march towards Vision 2030,” he said.
Mnangagwa highlighted record harvests of tobacco, maize, and wheat as key drivers of economic expansion attributing the success to the Agriculture, Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy.
He said over three million households had benefited from the Pfumvudza/Intwasa input programme while the national livestock herd grew to 5.7 million and milk production increased from 76.7 million litres in 2019 to 115 million litres in 2024.
The President revealed that irrigation coverage had expanded to 221 000 hectares with a target of 496 000 hectares and that 14 new AI-driven silo sites were being constructed to boost national grain storage by 750 000 tonnes.
The mining sector, he said continued to attract investment in gold, lithium, iron and steel while the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill was expected to be finalised during the current parliamentary session to strengthen environmental accountability.
In manufacturing, Mnangagwa reported that the sector now contributes 15.3% to GDP driven by renewed investment in steel, cement, dairy, textiles and pharmaceuticals.
The Zimbabwe Industrial Reconstruction and Growth Plan and Community Economic Empowerment Trusts were among policies aimed at boosting rural industrialisation and local participation.
Zimbabwe’s tourism industry received international acclaim, with Forbes Magazine recently naming it the “Best Must-Visit Destination in the World.”
The President urged Parliament to expedite the Tourism Amendment Bill to sustain this momentum.
He also outlined major infrastructure developments, including progress on the Harare–Chirundu, Bulawayo–Victoria Falls and Christmas Pass bypass roads as well as modernisation of border posts such as Forbes and Chirundu.
Mnangagwa said power supply had improved following the licensing of several independent producers and the expansion of the fuel pipeline to handle 3 billion litres per year with plans to scale up to 5 billion litres.
The President reaffirmed that the ZiG currency remained stable under a tight monetary regime, with foreign currency inflows rising to US$10.4 billion by August 2025 a 26.8% increase from last year.
He said reserves had climbed to US$900 million, earning Zimbabwe recognition from the World Bank as the top performer in global foreign reserve accumulation.
“The trend in macro-economic stability is expected to become the status quo in our country,” Mnangagwa said.
Mnangagwa said increased fiscal capacity allowed government to expand social welfare programmes, including food deficit mitigation, education assistance and vulnerable farmers’ input schemes.
