Lithium Boom: Zimbabwe exported lithium products worth $782m in the first half of 2026, up from $237m last year, as the first lithium sulphate plant lifts value addition and Treasury signals a ban on concentrate exports from Jan 2027. Budget Discipline: Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube says no supplementary budget is needed after stronger revenue collections, with ZiG137.8bn raised vs ZiG123.6bn spent in H1 and inflation averaging 4.2% so far. Mining Push: VP Chiwenga used Mine Entra’s exploration symposium to urge bigger mineral exploration investment, warning Zimbabwe risks a future resource gap without longer mine lives and sustained “patient capital.” Mine Entra Focus on Value: A beneficiation and value-add symposium at Mine Entra 2026 targets downstream processing to maximise mineral wealth and jobs. Data Licensing Backlash: POTRAZ’s new annual data licence fees under the Cyber and Data Protection Act sparked criticism over compliance costs that could hit businesses, churches and schools. Local Industry Watch: Bulawayo manufacturing capacity utilisation rose to 51.3% (from 45.8%), but energy costs and smuggled/counterfeit imports still squeeze firms. Transport Governance: Zupco’s collapse is flagged as a national embarrassment in the Auditor-General’s report, citing major losses, missing records and governance failures. Sports & Infrastructure: ICC unveiled 12 venues for the 2027 Men’s Cricket World Cup across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, including Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls.