Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has called on coal producers in Hwange to work together to rehabilitate railway infrastructure, saying improved rail transport is key to unlocking Zimbabwe’s full export potential.
Speaking at the 2025 Mine Entra Expo in Bulawayo, Chiwenga said the fragmented approach among mining companies was undermining logistics efficiency and inflating costs, as most coal continues to be transported by road.
“Coal producers in Hwange must come together to fix the railways. We cannot achieve the level of growth we seek if our logistics remain weak and uncoordinated,” said the Vice President.
Zimbabwe’s coal exports surged in the first eight months of 2025, more than doubling to 337,586 tonnes, up from 166,713 tonnes during the same period last year, according to the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ).
However, MMCZ warned that inadequate rail capacity continues to constrain the sector’s performance.
“Limited inland logistic capacity, heavily reliant on road transport, continues to impede the efficient movement of materials to market,” the corporation said in its latest report.
Industry players say that while the surge in exports reflects renewed investment and production in Hwange, the overreliance on trucks has strained major highways and limited the volumes that can reach ports.
The Coal Producers Association estimates that Zimbabwe could be exporting up to ten times more coal if an efficient rail system were in place.
Vice President Chiwenga said collaboration between government, the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ), and private coal producers is essential to modernize the transport network and support the country’s broader economic growth agenda.
Mine Entra 2025, held under the theme “Beyond Extraction: Sustaining the Future of Mining,” has brought together more than 240 exhibitors from the mining, engineering, transport, and construction sectors.
