- China’s Lithium Companies Ready to Cooperate with Zimbabwe Government
Chinese lithium mining companies operating in Zimbabwe are fully prepared to cooperate with government authorities on verification, sampling and investigations, the Economic and Commercial Counsellor at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Zimbabwe has said.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
Speaking at a breakfast meeting on Zimbabwe’s export ban on raw minerals and lithium concentrates, organised by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Organisation (ZELO) at Holiday Inn in Harare on Tuesday, Huang Minghai outlined the ongoing investments and compliance efforts of Chinese companies in the lithium sector.
Huang emphasised that Chinese companies place significant importance on the comprehensive utilisation of mineral resources and have already undertaken investments and research in this area.
“The companies place significant importance on the comprehensive utilisation of mineral resources and have already undertaken investments and research in this area,” Huang said.
He outlined specific projects underway:
- Bikita Minerals completed the construction of a caesium flotation plant in August 2025 and a tantalum-niobium recovery plant in December 2025.
- Kamativi Mining Company is currently constructing a tin, tantalum, and niobium recovery system, which is expected to commence operations in September 2026.
For other associated elements found in Zimbabwe’s lithium deposits, Huang noted that recovery has not yet reached economically viable levels.
“For other associated elements, the current grades have not yet reached economically viable recovery levels,” he explained.
The counsellor emphasised that Chinese companies are committed to working with Zimbabwean authorities to ensure compliance with local regulations.
“In addition, the companies have invited the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development to conduct comprehensive elemental analysis and research on lithium concentrates. All five companies are fully prepared to cooperate with government authorities regarding supervision, sampling, and investigations,” Huang said.
This commitment comes against the backdrop of the government’s recent suspension of raw lithium exports and its stated intention to tighten monitoring and enforcement across the sector. The government announced on 25 February 2026 the immediate suspension of all raw mineral and lithium concentrate exports, including shipments already in transit, citing widespread leakages, licence abuse, and failure to declare valuable by-minerals.
Huang also addressed the nature of lithium concentrate as a globally traded commodity, noting that Zimbabwe’s production follows international norms.
“It is also important to note that lithium concentrate is an internationally standardised commodity, and it is produced and exported in the same form in major lithium-producing regions such as Australia, South America, and Southern Africa,” he said.
He added that downstream processing of lithium follows established environmental practices globally.
“Following lithium extraction in downstream processing, the remaining residues are typically classified as industrial solid waste and are disposed of through licensed third-party facilities, in accordance with established international industry practices.”
Processing Capacity Developments
While Huang did not detail specific processing capacity figures, the companies he referenced have made significant strides. Bikita Minerals, operated by Sinomine, has been expanding its operations. The Bikita mine is one of Zimbabwe’s oldest lithium mines, having produced lithium minerals for decades, and the new recovery plants for caesium and tantalum-niobium represent significant value addition to the operation.
Kamativi Mining Company, operated by China’s Yahua Group, has been developing its processing infrastructure since taking over operations at the site of the former tin mine. The planned tin, tantalum, and niobium recovery system is part of a broader strategy to maximise value from the Kamativi pegmatites, which are known to contain multiple minerals.
The meeting comes five weeks after Zimbabwe announced the immediate suspension of all raw mineral and lithium concentrate exports. The government has cited widespread leakages, licence abuse, and failure to declare valuable by-minerals as reasons for the accelerated enforcement. Ministry of Mines Permanent Secretary Pfungwa Kunaka has testified before Parliament that studies confirmed significant losses of rare earths, tantalum, and niobium that were being shipped out without declaration.
The recovery plants that Chinese companies are constructing—for caesium at Bikita and for tin, tantalum, and niobium at Kamativi—directly address these concerns. By recovering these associated minerals locally, Zimbabwe can capture value that was previously being lost.
Huang’s address at the ZELO-organised breakfast meeting signals that Chinese investors, who dominate Zimbabwe’s lithium sector, are prepared to work within the new regulatory framework. For Zimbabwe, the challenge is to balance enforcement with continued investment. For Chinese companies, the challenge is to demonstrate compliance while maintaining operations during the transition to local processing.
The embassy’s presence at the meeting underscored the importance of the sector to bilateral relations. Chinese companies have invested billions of dollars in Zimbabwe’s lithium sector since 2021, making them central to the country’s beneficiation ambitions.
With recovery plants coming online for associated minerals and processing capacity expanding, the foundations for a new phase in Zimbabwe’s lithium industry are being laid. Whether those foundations will support the industrial future the government envisions remains to be seen.
