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Zimbabwe produces between 50,000 and 60,000 tonnes of iron and steel products each month. Minister Ndlovu noted that the industry\u2019s employment figures are expected to surpass those of the sugar sector, which currently employs around 24,000 people across its value chain.<\/p>\n
The iron and steel industry has emerged as Zimbabwe\u2019s fastest-growing sector, currently employing over 15,000 people, Industry and Commerce Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu has said. Speaking to students of the National Defence Course at the Zimbabwe National Defence University, Minister Ndlovu said the sector was \u201ccoming alive\u201d and was poised to become the country\u2019s largest employer in the near future.<\/p>\n
Zimbabwe produces between 50,000 and 60,000 tonnes of iron and steel products each month. Minister Ndlovu noted that the industry\u2019s employment figures are expected to surpass those of the sugar sector, which currently employs around 24,000 people across its value chain.<\/p>\n
Highlighting the sector\u2019s contribution to the economy, Minister Ndlovu revealed that export earnings from manufactured goods have increased by 18 percent, rising from USD 2.8 billion in 2017 to USD 9.2 billion by the end of October this year. \u201cWe are registering strong growth in manufactured exports, which is critical because it adds value and creates jobs in our economy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The minister also cited the performance of the manufacturing index, which increased from an average of 46.6 percent in 2019 to 540.5 percent in 2024, representing a cumulative growth of more than 200 percent.<\/p>\n
Minister Ndlovu expressed pride in Zimbabwe\u2019s manufacturing sector as the largest contributor to GDP, noting that this is rare in Africa, where economies are largely extractive.<\/p>\n
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