Buy Zimbabwe, a leading industry advocacy organization has urged the local energy industry players and the responsible authorities to strategically shift the country’s energy policy to empower the local energy industry in a bid to foster self-reliance as a country.
This comes on the backdrop of the recent fuel prices increases caused by the unrest in the middle east disturbing trade. Zimbabwe has faced challenges related to fuel supply with international imports often leading to price volatility and supply chain disruptions.
Commenting on the current fuel price increase Buy Zimbabwe Advocacy and Communications Officer Elvis Masvaure emphasised the need for the local energy players to make good use of local energy resources in order to meet the nation’s demand.
“By investing in and prioritizing local energy production as a nation we will be able to harness our abundant natural resources, creating jobs and foster sustainable economic development, this will directly make a positive impact within the local energy industry,” said Masvaure.
Masvaure stressed the need the importance of the local energy players how they can make use of the local resources for the benefit of the nation.
Masvaure added :
“Zimbabwe has the potential to produce its own fuel using local resources and by doing so we can be able control prices, create jobs and ensure that our energy needs as a nation are met sustainably.”
Local economist Malone Gwandu said the unrest in the middle east is not predictable when it will end so the responsible authorities need to come up with long term measures on how to counter the reliance on importing critical commodities.
Gwandu said the responsible authorities have a duty to implement policies that favour the growth of local energy industry players such as local blenders such as green fuel to be able to supply fuel to the locals.
Gwandu added that authorities must make use of natural resources such as lithium to benefit the local fuel industry.
Mr Gwandu noted that the government must invest towards the development of the local resources such as lithium and solar energy for them to be used as an alternative source of energy fostering a reduction of imports at the same time saving the foreign currency for other critical purposes.
In 2025 Zimbabwe used USD 1,7 billion importing both petrol and diesel. In the 2025 Import and Export Trade Analysis Report, Zimbabwe significantly narrowed its trade deficit in 2025 reducing it to US$404 million, down from an annual average of over US$1,6 billion between 2021 and 2024.