Zimbabwe’s platinum boom: Where is the wealth?
Zimbabwe's platinum industry is generating billions of dollars in export earnings, but residents in mining communities say basic services like roads, schools, and water have failed to keep pace with the wealth extracted from beneath their land.
Platinum prices hit an all-time high of $2,923 an ounce on January 26 during a broader precious metals rally, according to the World Platinum Investment Council. For Zimbabwe, home to the world's second largest known deposits of platinum group metals (PGMs) after South Africa, the price surge offers an opportunity to increase revenue from a sector central to the economy.
Mining accounts for about 75 percent of the country's exports and about 14.5 percent of its gross domestic product, according to the International Trade Administration in the United States. The mining sector generated a record $8.5bn in export earnings in 2025, up from $5.9bn the previous year, according to John Musekiwa, then-president of the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe.
But in communities surrounding some of the country's biggest platinum operations, residents said the wealth extracted from beneath their land has not translated into adequate roads, schools, water supplies and other basic services. In Mhondoro-Ngezi, one of Zimbabwe's major platinum-producing areas, that tension is visible on the ground.
Mining wealth, community struggles
The Great Dyke, a geological formation stretching across central Zimbabwe, contains extensive deposits of PGMs. Zimplats operates mines, concentrators and processing facilities in the Mhondoro-Ngezi district there. Inside the mining complex, ore is processed in modern facilities, but outside, residents of Turf, Mamina, Murambwa and nearby villages said infrastructure has struggled to keep pace with the area's growth.
We call upon Zimplats and other mines to build a road from Kadoma/Kwekwe to Turf, Benhura, Mamina, Murambwa and Kadhani, linking to the Harare-Masvingo highways.
Ward 3 Councillor Emmah Chikwai highlighted the educational challenges, noting that some children travel between 15km and 25km to reach Musinambi Secondary School. "My appeal is for the mines to assist in setting up a satellite secondary school in Makwavarara," she said.
Environmental and social concerns
During a September 7 visit, Al Jazeera saw pupils at Turf Primary School learning under trees as rising enrolment strained the school's facilities. Nearby, women and young men searched through piles of waste for plastic they could sell. For Sakina Lice, collecting plastic is how she supports her family of 11 children and nine grandchildren.
Residents also raised concerns about the Ngwazani River, alleging that sewage from the mining area has entered the waterway. Edson Mabure, whose family was relocated as mining activities expanded, said the river has become a problem for residents in his new community. "Since the mine started operating, there is nothing tangible that has been done to leave a lasting legacy for the community," he said.
Corporate responses and demands
In Shurugwi, home to the Unki Platinum Mine, residents have called for more investment in local infrastructure. Unki told Al Jazeera that it has invested an average of $1.5m a year in community development over the past five years, covering education, healthcare, water and sanitation, agriculture and infrastructure.
Its public relations manager, Evelyn Mawimba, said the mine has built 63 boreholes, supported 32 schools through its STEP-UP programme and contributed $2.75m towards land purchases and development of the Impali housing estate. However, Mimosa did not respond to Al Jazeera's questions despite several attempts to contact the company.
For residents of Zimbabwe's platinum belt, the demands are straightforward: better roads, schools, water and other services in communities living alongside some of the country's most valuable mines. "What is beneath our land speaks volumes," Denhere said. "We need to see a lasting legacy for our communities."
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