Mashonaland Central has launched its inaugural Investment Dialogue, bringing together government officials, investors, financial institutions, traditional leaders, academics and development partners as the province seeks to accelerate industrialisation and attract investment into key sectors of the economy.

Held under the theme "Accelerating Rural Industrialisation and Modernisation for Sustainable Growth in Mashonaland Central Province," the dialogue focused on opportunities in agriculture, mining, tourism, manufacturing, infrastructure development and energy, with organisers positioning the province as a strategic growth hub.

Officials said the forum was intended to move beyond investment conferences that end with declarations by creating a platform for business deals, policy coordination and investment facilitation.

"We are shifting from exporting raw commodities to retaining more value locally through beneficiation, agro-processing and manufacturing," a provincial representative said.

The investment push comes as Mashonaland Central emerges as one of Zimbabwe's fastest-growing provincial economies. According to provincial GDP data, the province contributes approximately 6% to national GDP, with agriculture accounting for 24.47% of provincial output, followed by manufacturing at 10.16% and mining at 10.05%.

The province's economic significance is underpinned by its dominance in agriculture. Mashonaland Central is Zimbabwe's leading tobacco-producing province, accounting for the largest number of registered tobacco growers in the country. Tobacco remains Zimbabwe's largest agricultural export, generating more than US$1 billion annually in foreign currency earnings.

Recent production figures illustrate the province's growing importance. Tobacco production in Mashonaland Central expanded by 25% during the latest season, helping drive Zimbabwe's record tobacco harvest of more than 350 million kilogrammes, surpassing the previous record of approximately 296 million kilogrammes achieved in 2023.

Yet the dialogue also highlighted a longstanding challenge confronting Zimbabwe's economy: despite being a major producer of agricultural and mineral commodities, much of the value addition occurs outside the province or outside the country altogether.

The province produces significant quantities of tobacco, maize, cotton, citrus fruits, livestock and minerals including gold, chrome, nickel and copper.

However, limited beneficiation and processing capacity means a substantial portion of these commodities leave production areas in raw or semi-processed form, reducing potential income, employment creation and tax revenues.

This challenge mirrors a broader national policy debate. Successive governments have promoted value addition and beneficiation as central pillars of industrial policy, arguing that processing commodities locally could increase export earnings and create jobs. However, progress has often been constrained by infrastructure deficits, power shortages, financing gaps and limited industrial capacity.

The province's focus on agro-processing and manufacturing is therefore aligned with broader government efforts to transform rural economies from production centres into industrial growth hubs.

Stakeholders at the dialogue also discussed measures aimed at improving the ease of doing business, with particular emphasis on reducing investment bottlenecks and increasing transparency.

The discussions come at a time when Zimbabwe is seeking to attract more private sector investment to support economic growth. While mining and agriculture continue to drive much of the country's economic activity, policymakers have increasingly argued that sustainable growth will require stronger manufacturing linkages and greater participation by local communities in value chains.

Officials at the dialogue stressed that investment should not only generate profits but also improve livelihoods.

The forum called for investments that create employment opportunities, particularly for women and young people, while supporting environmental sustainability and community development.

Among the commodities identified for value addition were livestock, citrus fruits, vegetables, tobacco, wheat, soyabeans, oilseeds and various mineral resources.

The emphasis on rural industrialisation also reflects lessons from previous economic development strategies.

Analysts have long argued that Zimbabwe's growth model has been heavily concentrated around primary commodity production, leaving rural provinces vulnerable to commodity price fluctuations and climate-related shocks. Developing processing industries closer to production areas has been identified as one way of increasing economic resilience and retaining more value within local economies.

Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister, Mthuli Ncube, is expected to deliver the keynote address at the dialogue, where stakeholders are expected to outline concrete investment proposals and strategies for unlocking the province's industrial potential.