BULAWAYO — Zimbabwe’s beneficiation drive has reached a critical stage, with its ability to process more minerals locally now dependent on delivering the power, water and transport infrastructure needed to attract the next wave of investment in value-added processing, the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe has said, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Ryan Chigoche
Speaking at the Mine Entra 2026 Beneficiation and Value Addition Symposium, Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe President Fungai Makoni said the debate had shifted beyond the need for beneficiation itself to the conditions required to make downstream processing globally competitive.
His remarks come at a pivotal stage in Zimbabwe’s beneficiation drive. Over the past few years, the country has made tangible progress in moving up the mineral value chain. In the lithium sector, Huayou Cobalt-owned Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe (PLZ) has become the first producer to export lithium sulphate, marking Zimbabwe’s entry into higher-value battery chemicals, while Bikita Minerals is developing its own lithium sulphate project as producers move beyond spodumene concentrates.
The next milestone is fast approaching.
Lithium producers have until January 2027 to commission lithium sulphate plants under a government directive aimed at deepening value addition in the battery minerals sector.
Authorities have repeatedly maintained that the deadline will not be extended, increasing pressure on miners to accelerate investment in downstream processing and positioning infrastructure as a decisive factor in whether those projects are delivered on time.
Against that backdrop, Makoni said the next phase of beneficiation would depend on creating an operating environment capable of supporting large-scale industrial investment.
“We continue to advocate for an enabling operating environment for beneficiation, supported by competitive energy, water and transport infrastructure, increased local content, and supplier development,” Makoni said.
The Chamber argues that while Zimbabwe has largely settled the policy question around beneficiation, the economics of processing minerals will ultimately be determined by the cost and reliability of the infrastructure supporting those operations. Smelters, refineries and chemical plants require dependable electricity, secure water supplies, efficient transport networks and skilled labour to compete with established processing hubs elsewhere.
Makoni said beneficiation should be viewed as a broader industrialisation strategy capable of boosting exports, creating skilled employment and stimulating manufacturing, rather than simply adding another stage to mining production.
“The true measure of our success depends on the incremental value we derive from these resources. Beneficiation and value addition represent the bridge between mineral wealth and sustained national prosperity.”
To strengthen the investment case, the Chamber is urging the government to designate beneficiation as a Special Economic Zone, arguing that targeted fiscal incentives, alongside greater support for research, innovation and specialised skills development, would improve the viability of capital-intensive processing projects.
The proposal complements remarks made earlier at the symposium by Mines and Mining Development Minister Polite Kambamura, who said Zimbabwe’s beneficiation ambitions would ultimately depend on attracting long-term “patient capital” capable of financing large-scale processing facilities.
With global competition for critical minerals intensifying and countries increasingly seeking to retain more value from their natural resources, the Chamber believes Zimbabwe has reached a defining moment. The policy direction is largely in place, and investment in downstream processing has begun. The challenge now is whether the country can match those ambitions with competitive infrastructure, long-term capital and an industrial ecosystem capable of producing higher-value mineral chemicals and refined products for global markets.
