Zimbabwe's gold exports surge 72%

Zimbabwe earned US$3.1 billion from gold exports during the first six months of 2026, marking a 72.2 percent increase from the US$1.8 billion recorded over the same period last year, according to official figures released by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ).

The impressive performance reflects sustained growth in monthly export earnings, underpinned by increased gold production and favourable international bullion prices.

Gold export receipts reached US$498.3 million in January, up from US$296.8 million in January 2025. In February, earnings climbed to US$549 million, compared to US$219.9 million during the corresponding month last year.

March generated US$406.1 million in export revenue, an increase from US$244.2 million recorded in March 2025, while April earnings rose to approximately US$528 million, up from US$307.1 million.

In May, Zimbabwe earned US$503.3 million from gold exports, compared to US$373.3 million during the same month in 2025.

June delivered the strongest monthly performance of the year, with gold export receipts reaching US$597.1 million, significantly higher than the US$394.2 million recorded in June last year.

The sharp increase in export earnings was attributed to higher production volumes and favourable conditions on the international gold market.

During the first half of the year, total gold deliveries to the country's sole authorised buyer, Fidelity Gold Refinery, reached 21.39 tonnes.

Artisanal and small-scale miners remained the backbone of the sector, contributing more than 70 percent of all gold delivered to Fidelity Gold Refinery during the six-month period.

The strong export performance has boosted Zimbabwe's foreign currency inflows, enabling monetary authorities to steadily build foreign exchange reserves. The Reserve Bank says the increased reserves have strengthened efforts to maintain price stability and support exchange rate stability for the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) currency.