The Government has challenged Zimbabwean manufacturers to continuously innovate, improve product standards and strengthen competitiveness as the country intensifies efforts to consolidate gains made under the Buy Zimbabwe campaign and position local industries for regional export growth.
Speaking at the Buy Zimbabwe ZimBrands 2026 Awards, Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Deputy Minister David Kudakwashe Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe had made remarkable progress in restoring local products onto retail shelves despite stiff competition from imports, smuggling and counterfeit goods.
“We now have 66 percent, that’s two-thirds of the products in all stores being Zimbabwean,” said Deputy Minister Mnangagwa.
“We understand how much of a feat that is, given where we have come from. Zimbabwe is a dollarised economy. Being competitive against imports, against counterfeit goods, against smuggled goods, and still being able to fill the shelves with two-thirds of our products is something to be proud of as Zimbabweans.”
The remarks reflect a dramatic transformation in Zimbabwe’s retail landscape over the past decade.
At the height of Zimbabwe’s de-industrialisation period during the 2000s and early 2010s, supermarket shelves were dominated by imported products as local factories struggled with currency instability, low capacity utilisation, obsolete machinery and shrinking investment.
But under the Buy Zimbabwe campaign and broader industrialisation policies, locally manufactured products have steadily regained ground across sectors such as food processing, beverages, agriculture, retail, telecommunications and financial services.
Deputy Minister Mnangagwa said Government’s long-term focus now extends beyond basic economic growth toward deeper industrial development.
“From a Minister of Finance point of view, working in collaboration with the Minister of Industry, our main job, apart from making sure that there’s economic growth, is to ensure that there’s economic development as well,” he said.
He revealed that industrial capacity utilisation has improved to between 56 and 57 percent since 2019, reflecting a gradual recovery in domestic manufacturing productivity.
Under the National Development Strategy 2, Government is targeting manufacturing to contribute 25 percent to Zimbabwe’s Gross Domestic Product, up from the current 18 percent, while manufactured exports are expected to account for at least 18 percent of total exports.
“This is a very deliberate plan by the Government,” Mnangagwa said.
“What we would want as Government is to make sure that the confidence and trust deficit that might exist closes.”
Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce Rajeshkumar Modi echoed similar sentiments, warning that Zimbabwean brands must now adapt to rapidly changing consumer behaviour, technological disruption and growing competition under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
“The global economy is evolving rapidly, driven by technology, changing consumer preferences, and increased competition,” Modi said.
“The African Continental Free Trade Area provides a major opportunity for our industries to access wider markets. To benefit fully, our businesses must continue improving product quality.”
Modi said Zimbabwe had already made significant progress in increasing the presence of local products in retail stores, with local goods now occupying more than 60 percent of shelf space compared to around 10 percent in previous years.
“We are encouraged by the progress that has been made in promoting local products. The increase in shelf space occupied by local goods, from around 10 percent to over 60 percent, is a remarkable achievement,” he said.
Government says industrialisation remains central to Vision 2030 and broader economic transformation efforts aimed at creating jobs, reducing imports and preserving foreign currency reserves.
“Industries play a vital role in our economy because they create jobs. People get jobs, they get money, they spend money and that cycle starts to improve the economy and the livelihood for the people,” Modi added.
Buy Zimbabwe chief executive Munyaradzi Hwengwere said the next phase of the campaign now centres on increasing genuine local content within Zimbabwean products in line with AfCFTA requirements.
He revealed that products seeking preferential access into AfCFTA markets must demonstrate at least 40 percent local content.
“The next frontier is the greater use of Zimbabwean insignia, but to attach that insignia to a local content threshold,” Hwengwere said.
He noted that while Zimbabwe had performed strongly in food production and consumer goods, the country still lags in higher-value industrial sectors such as electrical manufacturing, vehicle assembly and mining consumables.
“If you look at mining, mining is growing, but only 12 percent of the mining consumables are made in Zimbabwe,” he said.
The push for local manufacturing comes as Zimbabwe’s mining, agriculture and construction sectors continue driving broader economic activity and consumer demand.
Research presented during the awards ceremony by Topline Research Solutions showed that affordability, quality and availability remain the key drivers of consumer purchasing decisions.
The nationwide survey covering 1,610 households across Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces found that 76 percent of consumers prioritise price, while nearly 70 percent place strong emphasis on product quality.
The ZimBrands Awards recognised several leading local companies across multiple sectors.
Innscor Africa Zimbabwe won the prestigious ZimBrands Company of the Year Award, while Delta Corporation was named the Most Preferred FMCG company.
Other major winners included Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, CBZ Holdings, Seed Co, Old Mutual, Nyaradzo Group, Cimas, Bakers Inn, Mazoe, Pick n Pay Zimbabwe and Dynamos FC.
Analysts say the growing dominance of local brands signals improving industrial resilience, although long-term competitiveness will still depend on energy stability, infrastructure upgrades, access to financing, innovation and export-oriented manufacturing growth.
With AfCFTA gradually reshaping regional trade dynamics, Zimbabwean manufacturers are now under increasing pressure not only to produce locally — but to compete continentally.
