The
announcement
confirms
a
major
shift
in
the
country’s
revenue
strategy,
directly
affecting
consumer
spending,
business
operations,
and
foreign
investments.
The
measures
include
an
increased
standard
Value
Added
Tax
(VAT)
rate,
the
introduction
of
a
digital
services
tax,
new
mineral
export
levies,
and
significantly
higher
taxes
on
gambling.
New
Digital
And
Consumption
Taxes
Take
Effect
A
cornerstone
of
the
new
tax
regime
is
the
introduction
of
a
15%
Digital
Services
Withholding
Tax
(DSWT).
This
tax
targets
payments
made
to
foreign
digital
platforms
like
Netflix,
Spotify,
Amazon
Prime,
Starlink,
and
ride-hailing
apps
such
as
Bolt
and
InDrive.
The
point
of
the
tax,
the
government
has
argued,
is
that
offshore
digital
platforms
allow
companies
to
supply
services
directly
to
domestic
users
without
establishing
a
physical
presence
in
the
country.
Local
banks
and
payment
processors
are
responsible
for
collecting
the
tax
at
the
point
of
transaction.
For
example,
Stanbic
Bank
Zimbabwe
informed
its
customers
via
text
message
that
the
15%
withholding
tax
on
international
internet
and
card
payments
was
active
from
the
start
of
the
year.
Alongside
this,
the
standard
VAT
rate
has
been
increased
from
15%
to
15.5%.
The
government
has
also
removed
VAT
zero-rating
for
tourist
facilities,
accommodation
for
non-residents,
and
hunting
safaris,
making
visits
to
the
country
more
expensive
for
foreign
tourists.
Mining
Exports
And
Gambling
Face
Sharp
Hikes
The
mining
sector,
a
critical
pillar
of
the
national
economy,
is
now
subject
to
heavier
fiscal
burdens.
The
government
has
implemented
a
10%
export
tax
on
lithium
ore,
antimony,
and
unbeneficiated
chrome,
alongside
a
revised
tax
on
black
granite.
A
separate,
new
3%
levy
also
applies
to
sales
and
exports
of
coal,
lithium,
black
granite,
quarry
stone,
and
dimensional
stone.
Simultaneously,
the
gaming
industry
is
confronting
a
drastically
increased
tax
load.
A
new
gambling
tax
regime
has
significantly
raised
rates.
The
2026
gambling
tax
increases
bettors’
withholding
on
winnings
from
10
per
cent
to
25
per
cent,
while
operators’
gross
takings
tax
jumps
from
3
per
cent
to
20
per
cent.
Operators,
including
sports
betting
firms
and
casinos,
were
required
to
submit
their
first
returns
for
this
new
regime
by
January
5,
2026,
with
payments
due
by
January
10.
Property
Taxes
Aimed
At
Formalising
The
Market
The
tax
changes
extend
to
the
property
and
rental
market,
aiming
to
close
loopholes
and
capture
informal
revenue.
Authorities
have
introduced
a
special
capital
gains
tax
on
the
disposal
of
shares
in
companies
whose
principal
asset
is
land.
This
targets
transactions
designed
to
avoid
standard
property
transfer
duties.
Furthermore,
landlords
who
rent
out
business
premises
now
face
a
Presumptive
Rental
Income
Tax
of
15%,
a
measure
intended
to
formalise
a
segment
of
the
rental
economy
that
often
operates
informally.