Zimbabwe’s lithium sector is undergoing a fundamental transformation, adopting the same cooperative beneficiation model that has proven successful in the platinum group metals industry, with smaller producers set to process their concentrate through facilities owned by larger players, the Chamber of Mines has revealed.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
Speaking at a workshop on energy minerals co-hosted by ActionAid Zimbabwe and the Parliament of Zimbabwe, Chamber of Mines Senior Executive and Manpower Resource Advisor Pardon Chitsuro outlined the sector’s progress toward the government’s beneficiation targets and the innovative partnerships emerging to ensure all lithium is processed in the country.
Chitsuro confirmed that multiple processing facilities are nearing completion, putting Zimbabwe on track to meet its beneficiation objectives.
“Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe is anticipating to fully commission their plants anytime soon. They have planned for March, but our understanding is that they are almost done,” Chitsuro told the gathering.
Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe’s Arcadia Technology Zimbabwe plant, a US$400 million facility in Goromonzi, Mashonaland East Province, is Africa’s first lithium sulphate processing plant and is scheduled for commissioning in the first quarter of 2026. The facility comprises three production lines designed to produce 50,000 to 60,000 tonnes of lithium sulphate per annum, with the first line scheduled for January 2026 and subsequent lines in April 2026.
“Bikita Minerals and other key producers are at various levels of implementing and complying with the agreed deadline,” Chitsuro said.
Sinomine, which acquired Bikita Minerals in 2022, has committed US$500 million to construct a lithium sulphate processing facility at its operations in Masvingo Province. This facility is expected to be commissioned later in 2026, representing the second major sulphate plant.
A third lithium sulphate facility is also anticipated, with Minister of Mines and Mining Development Hon. Dr. Polite Kambamura confirming at the Mining Indaba in Cape Town that Zimbabwe will have three lithium sulphate plants commissioned in succession, the only such facilities in Africa.
What is particularly notable, Chitsuro explained, is the sector’s adoption of the cooperative framework pioneered by the platinum industry.
“What is more interesting is that the sector also adopted the approach that is being used by the PGM sector. Those that have got smaller resources and shorter life of mine are entering into agreements with those that have excess facilities, excess capacity rather.”
In the PGM sector, Zimplats has expanded its smelter capacity at the Selous Metallurgical Complex to process 380 kilotons of material per annum, three times its previous capacity, enabling it to not only meet its internal needs but also process concentrates from Mimosa Mining Company and other producers. This toll processing arrangement, which began in January 2025, allows Mimosa to utilise Zimplats’ expanded smelting capacity rather than building its own facility, which would have been economically unviable given its limited resource base.
The same logic is now being applied to lithium. Smaller producers with limited resource bases and shorter mine lives will partner with larger players that have built processing capacity, ensuring that all lithium concentrates are beneficiated in country without requiring every producer to construct their own plant.
The push toward local processing has been accelerated by the government’s decision to suspend all raw mineral and lithium concentrate exports effective February 26, 2026.
The government had initially announced a 2027 deadline for the ban, but moved the timeline forward after observing malpractices in the lithium mining industry. According to Minister Kambamura, “the industry responded otherwise by increasing its level of production and also increasing export volumes. There was also an increased appetite for lithium export permits, and the rationale behind it was to export as much product as possible before the notice period.”
The ban now applies to all lithium concentrates and raw minerals.
It should be noted that while lithium concentrates are now banned, other minerals in concentrates continue to be exported. Zimbabwe’s mineral exports remain robust across other commodities. In the first quarter of 2025, the country exported significant volumes of coal, coke, chrome ore lumpy, copper concentrates, high-carbon ferrochrome, scrap, and steel.
The PGM sector, through established arrangements like the Mimosa Zimplats toll processing agreement, continues to beneficiate and export processed PGM products.
The goal, Chitsuro said, is clear and achievable.
“So the intention is that come the deadline, all concentrates will be processed in the country, and the country will be exporting high-value lithium sulphates come 2027. And the expectation is that the country will benefit more.”
The numbers explain why this matters. Raw spodumene concentrate currently sells for around US$250 per tonne. Lithium sulphate, the intermediate product that feeds into battery manufacturing, commands US$18,000 to US$22,000 per tonne, a value multiple that transforms the economics of the entire sector. The transition from concentrate to sulphate represents a revenue multiplication of five to seven times per tonne of raw material processed.
While the processing infrastructure is coming online, Chitsuro warned that one critical element must be secured for the beneficiation vision to succeed: reliable electricity.
“I think power becomes of paramount importance, and we call upon the government to ensure that it supports the lithium sector and provides guaranteed power supplies so that these beneficiation facilities do not become white elephants.”
Lithium processing is energy-intensive. Converting concentrate to sulphate requires a consistent, high-quality power supply. Interruptions or shortages could idle plants that represent hundreds of millions of dollars in investment.
Chitsuro’s remarks paint a picture of a lithium sector racing against time to meet the beneficiation objectives. The processing infrastructure is nearly ready. The cooperative framework is in place. Smaller producers are linking with larger partners. And the value proposition, moving from US$250 per tonne to US$22,000 per tonne, is compelling.
For Zimbabwe, the stakes could not be higher. The country holds significant lithium reserves and is Africa’s largest producer. If the beneficiation transition succeeds, it will capture a share of the lithium value chain that has historically gone to processors elsewhere. If it fails, if plants cannot run, if partnerships falter, the opportunity may be lost.
