Capacity utilisation for large manufacturing companies increased by 4,1 percentage points to 57,3 percent in the second quarter of this year, compared to 53,2 percent in the first quarter, amid optimistic prospects about the general business climate.
According to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) Second Quarter 2025 business tendency survey for manufacturing, capacity utilisation for small to medium companies stood at 46,5 percent during the period under review.
ZimStat did not give comparative figures for the SMEs sector.
“Overall, the manufacturing sectors’ combined capacity utilisation in the second quarter of 2025 was 48,2 percent, up from 47,7 percent in the first quarter of 2025,” Mrs Kuda Chiguma, manager of industry statistics at ZimStat, said during a virtual presentation of the survey results.
Mrs Chiguma said 25,3 percent of the respondents expressed optimism about the general business climate in the second quarter of 2025.
Mining sector capacity utilisation for the second quarter of 2025 was 56 percent, up from 55,4 percent recorded in the first quarter of 2025.
Mrs Chiguma said that 25 percent of the mining sector respondents also expressed optimism about the general business climate during the period under review.
In terms of production levels, about 50 percent of respondents in the manufacturing sector viewed the levels in the second quarter of 2025 as having remained unchanged.
Mrs Chiguma said about 23 percent were of the view that the capacity levels had increased.
“For the mining sector, 70,3 percent of the respondents perceived that production levels had remained the same over the second quarter of 2025,” she said.
In terms of sentiment towards employment, excluding seasonal variations, 69,4 percent of respondents in the manufacturing sector reported that their firm’s total employment levels remained unchanged during the second quarter of 2025.
In the mining sector, 79,1 percent of the respondents indicated that the employment levels had remained the same in the second quarter of 2025.
Regarding the level of order books for the second quarter, 56,8 percent of the respondents in the manufacturing sector considered them normal for the season.
“Around 78 percent of respondents in the mining sector considered total order books normal for the season,” reads part of the survey.
In terms of the stocks of finished goods, about 7 percent of respondents in the manufacturing sector and 2,2 percent in the mining sector considered stocks of finished goods in the second quarter of 2025 as normal for the season.
Mrs Chiguma said about 23 percent were of the view that the levels had increased.
“For the mining sector, 70,3 percent of the respondents perceived that production levels had remained the same over the second quarter of 2025,” she said.
On sentiments towards employment, excluding seasonal variations, 69,4 percent of respondents in the manufacturing sector reported that their firm’s total employment levels remained unchanged during the second quarter of 2025.
In the mining sector, 79,1 percent of the surveyed miners indicated that the employment level had remained the same in the second quarter of 2025.
Regarding the level of total order books for the second quarter, 56,8 percent of respondents in the manufacturing sector considered them normal for the season.
“Around 78 percent of respondents in the mining sector considered total order books normal for the season,” reads part of the survey.
In terms of the stocks of finished goods, about 7 percent of respondents in the manufacturing sector and 2,2 percent in the mining sector considered stocks of finished goods in the second quarter of 2025 as normal for the season.
“Proportions of respondents who viewed second quarter 2025 stocks of raw materials as normal for the season were 51 percent for the manufacturing sector and 18,2 percent for the mining sector,” said Mrs Chiguma.
She said the outlook for changes in selling prices in the third quarter of 2025 was such that 77,5 percent of respondents in manufacturing and 48,4 percent in the mining sector anticipated the prices to remain unchanged.
In terms of supplier delivery time, 11,1 percent of respondents in manufacturing and 7,7 percent in mining described the turnaround time in the second quarter of 2025 as having been faster.
Meanwhile, the volume of manufacturing index (VMI) for the second quarter of 2025 was 158,25, reflecting a year-on-year percentage increase of 15,45 when compared to the 137,07 recorded in the second quarter of 2024.
The output index for foodstuffs for the second quarter of 2025 was 190,45, reflecting a 63,59 percent increase in production when compared to 116,42 for the second quarter of 2024.
The textiles sub-sector recorded an output index of 62,46 in the second quarter of 2025 compared to 60,31 in the second quarter of 2024, resulting in a year-on-year percentage increase of 3,56. – Herald
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