Zimbabwe's platinum boom — yet no clean water, roads, or schools
Record revenues from the mining sector are not reaching the population
Zimbabwe, which holds the world's second-largest reserves of platinum group metals (PGMs) after South Africa, is experiencing an investment and price boom. However, the record foreign exchange earnings from the mining sector have had virtually no impact on the quality of life for the local population.
According to data from the World Platinum Investment Council (WPIC), platinum prices reached a historic high of $2,923 per ounce amid supply shortages and a rally in the precious metals market. The mining sector accounts for approximately 75% of Zimbabwe's exports and 14.5% of its GDP. According to the country's Chamber of Mines, in 2025, the sector's export revenue reached a record $8.5 billion (up from $5.9 billion the previous year), primarily due to increased gold and platinum production.
Despite these substantial revenues, residents of the key platinum-mining region of Mhondoro-Ngezi (part of the Great Dyke geological formation) report a severe crisis in basic infrastructure. In the immediate vicinity of modern processing plants operated by Zimplats, the population faces acute shortages of schools, roads, and drinking water.
Due to overcrowded schools, children are forced to study outdoors, while students from remote villages must walk between 15 and 25 km daily to reach the nearest secondary school.
Local residents report pollution of the Ngwazhani River by wastewater from mining settlements, rendering the water unsuitable for household use and irrigation.
Growing overpopulation due to an influx of workers is increasing the burden on municipalities, while unemployed residents survive by collecting plastic from landfills, earning no more than $20 per month.
Residents and municipal deputies are calling on mining companies to leave a tangible mark on the infrastructure of the regions where they operate—by building bridges, roads, water supply systems, and new school facilities.
Unki Platinum Mine, operating in the Shurugwi district, stated that over the past five years, it has allocated an average of $1.5 million annually to community social development, drilled 63 boreholes, supported 32 schools, and paid millions in taxes to municipal budgets.
Representatives of Mimosa Platinum Mine and the largest operator, Zimplats, have declined to comment on journalists' inquiries.
Local community representatives conclude that while the country's mineral resources generate enormous revenues, without strict oversight of corporate social responsibility, mining regions remain impoverished.
