- President Emmerson Mnangagwa will officially open Mine Entra 2026 in Bulawayo, ZITF CEO Nicholas Ndebele says.
- Exhibitor numbers have risen to 276 from 231 last year as the mining, engineering and transport expo focuses on investment, technology and value addition.
- The three-day event includes discussions on exploration, beneficiation, energy and infrastructure as Zimbabwe seeks to expand its mining value chains.
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa will officially open Mine Entra 2026 in Bulawayo, the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) Company said on Wednesday.
ZITF Chief Executive Officer Dr Nicholas Ndebele made the announcement at a press briefing as the mining, engineering and transport expo opened at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair grounds.
“His Excellency, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, will officially open Mine Entra 2026, and he will be accompanied by the Vice President, General (Rtd) Dr Constantino Chiwenga,” Ndebele said.
“The official opening underscores Government’s continued commitment to supporting the mining sector and industrialisation drive,” he said.
Mine Entra is running from July 29 to 31 under the theme “Unearth, Transform, Prosper: Anchoring Economic Transformation Through Mining Value Chains.”
Ndebele said the number of exhibitors had risen to 276 from 231 last year.
“The increase in exhibitors reflects growing confidence in Zimbabwe’s mining sector and Mine Entra as the premier platform for showcasing mining, engineering and transport solutions,” he said.
The mining sector remains a major part of Zimbabwe’s economy.
The government’s National Development Strategy 2 estimates that mining and quarrying accounted for 14.5% of gross domestic product in 2025 and 76% of export earnings in 2024.
The strategy also identifies mineral beneficiation and value addition as ways to create jobs and increase the economic benefits from the country’s mineral resources.
The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development lists attracting investment and promoting mineral beneficiation and value addition among its key responsibilities.
Those priorities are reflected in this year’s Mine Entra theme, which focuses on mining value chains rather than mineral extraction alone.
The ZITF Company says the expo’s buyers programme connects exhibitors with potential buyers and decision-makers from across the African mining value chain.
Mine Entra also has a focus on technology and innovation, with the organisers promoting the event as a platform for companies to showcase mining, engineering and transport solutions.
Sustainability is another part of the 2026 programme.
The organisers say the event promotes adherence to international environmental, social and governance standards in the mining sector.
The programme includes the Suppliers, Energy and Infrastructure Symposium, Exploration Symposium, Beneficiation Symposium, Mine Entra Conference and the ZASWMA Women in Mining Conference.
The discussions will cover issues linked to mining investment, exploration, infrastructure, energy and mineral beneficiation.
Mine Entra is in its 28th year and attracts mining executives, government officials, financiers, bankers, consultants, suppliers and representatives of international companies, according to the ZITF Company.
Zimbabwe has large deposits of minerals including platinum group metals, gold, diamonds, lithium, coal and base metals, according to the government’s development strategy.
The sector, however, continues to face challenges around investment, infrastructure, policy and the need to process more minerals locally.
