Among the 50 states that comprise the African continent, Zimbabwe, landlocked, is located at the bottom of Southern Africa exactly above the Republic of South Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the north-west, Mozambique to the north-east and South Africa and Botswana to the south. Zimbabwe though relatively small is unique countries and abundant in natural resources such as minerals and timber, and as such has an economy that is reliant on the mining industry and subsequently, the export business.

The country holds nearly 40 substantial mineral types, and the mining industry contributed 12% to the national GDP in 2020 although agriculture is another major earner for the country and one of the top land uses in Zimbabwe. Industry-wise, Zimbabwe has notable manufacturing companies although the sector is still developing and rather reliant on either importing raw materials for use, or exporting unprocessed goods and ore. 

Zimbabwe’s host of minerals includes gold, platinum, diamonds and coal, with gold being the country’s top earner. The majority of these minerals are located along a mineral-rich belt in the country known as The Great Dyke which stretches for more than 550km northeast to southwest of the country across its center. In 2014, the country accounted for 10% of the world’s gold production with notable producers being RioZim and small scale miners, 3, 8% of the world’s diamond production with the main producer being the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Mining Company and 8, 5% of the world’s platinum production with the top producers being Mimosa Mine, Unki and Zimplats. 

Zimbabwe also holds large deposits of coal with Makomo Resources, a coal miner based in Matebeleland North producing an output of 160 000 tonnes of coal a month which is also exporting coal to neighboring Zambia and Malawi. In addition, Zimbabwe has high quality timber resources with top hardwoods such as teak, pine and mukwa on offer which come from the commercial forests in the Eastern Highlands and is sold mostly by Wattle and Border Timbers. In 2019, the country’s exports of wood were nearly US$6 million with Botswana being the largest importer. 

Land area is the total area of a country excluding area under inland water bodies, and Zimbabwe’s land area is stable at 386, 850 sq. km as of 2018. 42, 5% of this land area is agricultural land which is further divided into arable land, permanent crops and permanent pastures, 39, 5% which is forest and 18% making up other. Arable land, which makes up 10, 9% of agricultural land is land which is cultivated for crops that are replanted after every harvest such as maize and wheat.

Permanent crops is land that is cultivated for crops such as coffee, citrus and rubber which are not replanted after every harvest while permanent pastures is land used for at least five years or more to grow forage, whether cultivated or that which grows naturally. Forest area is that which spans for more than half a hectare and has trees higher than 5m and a canopy cover of more than 10%. The least amount of land use in Zimbabwe, which is other at 18%, is that which includes built up areas, road networks and barren land. 

Industry-wise, Zimbabwe has one of the largest and most diversified manufacturing sectors in Sub-Saharan Africa and it contributed around 25, 1% of the total GDP in 2017. Notable increases in export sales since 2007 from this sector came from gems and precious metals such as gold and agricultural produce such as sugar and tobacco. Big industries in Zimbabwe include Lafarge and PPC which produce cement and are headquartered in Harare and Bulawayo respectively.

Sable Chemicals located in Kwekwe which is the sole produce of nitrogenous fertilizer and ammonia nitrate in Zimbabwe is another big exporter. Food-wise, an industry such as Hippo Valley Estate in Chiredzi is a giant in the sugar business alongside Tanganda Tea in Mutare which is Zimbabwe’s biggest tea and coffee producer and exports packed tea into various regional markets. Delta Corporation, the biggest beer and soft drink Company in Zimbabwe headquartered in Harare is another noteworthy industry and is on an expansion course as according to the chairman, Mr. C.F. Dube the company recently acquired a 100% stake held by United National Breweries in South Africa which is the leading brewer of Chibuku there.

In the telecommunications industry there is the regional giant, Econet Wireless whilst the energy industry has the coal industry which provides the country with the majority of its power needs alongside the hydro-electrical power Kariba Dam generates.

Agriculture-wise Cottco in Gokwe is a giant in the cotton business as it exports cotton lint and cottonseed and holds 80% of the market share. Tobacco is another huge earner for Zimbabwe as it is the largest tobacco producing country in Africa with crop sizes for Virginia flue-cured and in 2019; 258 million kilograms of tobacco were reached. The country’s leaf market involves direct contracting of growers and an auction system which is overseen by the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board whose job is to ensure that there is, ‘an orderly exchange of tobacco between the grower and the buyer.’

 A tobacco processing company called Tobacco Processors Zimbabwe has a plant in Harare which is one of the largest of its kind in Africa. It holds the largest market share in the country as it is responsible for processing over 42% of Zimbabwe’s annual tobacco crop. 

Another giant in the agricultural sector is the Grain Marketing Board which is Zimbabwe’s leading grain trade and marketing company for grains such as maize, millet and sorghum. Zimbabwe also doesn’t lack in the tourism industry where tourist attractions such as Victoria Falls, the Big 5, Great Zimbabwe and the Chinhoyi Caves ensure that the industry keeps booming. 

Zimbabwe therefore is rich in natural resources and has industries which boost the country’s export business and ensures that foreign currency, essential for the country’s development keeps coming in.