Mimosa, Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe’s platinum industry is generating billions of dollars, but residents in mining communities say roads, schools, water and other basic services 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 and continued concerns over the platinum supply, 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. He said the increase was driven by strong output and favourable prices, particularly for gold and PGMs.
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. 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, and heavy trucks move between mines and plants. Outside, residents of Turf, Mamina, Murambwa and nearby villages said infrastructure has struggled to keep pace with the area’s growth.
Ernest Denhere, headman of Denhere village in Ward 3, said mining companies should leave a lasting legacy in the communities where they operate. Ward 3 Councillor Emmah Chikwai said some children travel long distances to reach secondary school. Nearby, women and young men searched through piles of waste for plastic they could sell.
Cattle and goats moved among the rubbish. For Sakina Lice, collecting plastic is how she supports her family. Picking up plastics is the only way I survive.
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