Zimbabwe has commissioned Africa’s first lithium sulphate processing plant, a US$400 million (£299 million) facility developed by Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe (PLZ), a Chinese-owned company.
The plant’s opening marks a significant step in Zimbabwe’s strategy to process critical minerals domestically rather than export them in raw form. Much of the country’s lithium production is currently exported to China.
Speaking at an industrialisation conference, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe would prioritise local value addition ahead of a planned ban on raw lithium concentrate exports from January 2027.
Key developments:
- Mines and Mining Development Minister Polite Kambamura said a lithium carbonate plant is also nearing completion.
- Zimbabwe aims to expand into lithium battery and solar panel manufacturing while applying similar processing requirements to other critical minerals.
The government says the policy is intended to attract investment, create jobs and retain more value from the country’s mineral resources.
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