Skip to content
Zimbabwe Atlas
Vol. I · Dossier 2026
Volume III · Trade picture

What ships out.
What lands.

Zimbabwe ran a structural trade deficit of about US$1.6bn in 2023 — minerals carry the export book; refined fuel, vehicles and grains weigh down the bill. Export coverage of imports sits near 81%.

Exports 2023
US$7.0bn
Gold leads at 30%
Imports 2023
US$8.6bn
Other leads at 30%
Trade deficit
US$1.6bn
Forex pressure
Export cover
81%
Of import bill
01 · Outflows

Exports — the mineral engine.

Exports by category
US$7.0 bn
Reference year · 2023
By share of exports
Destination markets
  1. 01
    United Arab Emirates
    42%
  2. 02
    South Africa
    20%
  3. 03
    China
    11%
  4. 04
    Mozambique
    7%
  5. 05
    Belgium / Netherlands
    4%
  6. 06
    Indonesia / Vietnam
    3%
  7. 07
    Zambia / Botswana / Malawi
    4%
  8. 08
    Other
    9%
Underweight
Where the export book ought to be heavier.
10
  • 01Lithium beneficiated chemicals (carbonate/sulphate) vs ore
  • 02Refined PGMs vs mattes
  • 03Horticulture (still <2% of exports)
  • 04Macadamia & avocado
  • 05Honey, gum-arabic, baobab/marula botanicals
  • 06Hides & leather goods
  • 07Shona sculpture & crafts to premium markets
  • 08Halal-processed meat to Gulf
  • 09Premium bottled water (Eastern Highlands)
  • 10Services exports (BPO/KPO, software, education)
02 · Inflows

Imports — the substitution map.

Imports by category
US$8.6 bn
Reference year · 2023
By share of imports
Source countries
  1. 01
    South Africa
    40%
  2. 02
    China
    16%
  3. 03
    Singapore
    8%
  4. 04
    India
    4%
  5. 05
    UAE
    4%
  6. 06
    Mozambique
    3%
  7. 07
    Botswana
    3%
  8. 08
    Zambia
    2%
  9. 09
    Other
    20%
Substitution candidates
Where every dollar earned would otherwise leave the country.
10
  • 01Edible-oil crushing (soya, sunflower) — 70% imported today
  • 02Pharma generics — local capacity ~30% of essentials
  • 03Wheat & flour — domestic ~250k t vs ~400k t demand
  • 04Fertilisers (DAP/MOP/urea) — most imported
  • 05Solar PV panels, inverters, lithium batteries
  • 06PET / HDPE packaging preforms and closures
  • 07Vehicle assembly (CBU & SKD)
  • 08Steel finished products (changes from 2025 with Manhize)
  • 09Pesticides & agro-chemicals
  • 10Cosmetics & personal care
Translate the trade gap into business plans

Each substitution or under-weight is the seed of an investable thesis.

Browse the opportunity matrix →Map by sector