President Emmerson Mnangagwa has directed Government to strengthen systematic mineral exploration and the development of bankable mining projects as Zimbabwe seeks to unlock more value from its mineral endowment, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
Addressing the nation during his State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Mnangagwa said the Mining Promotion Corporation (MPC) and the Zimbabwe Geological Survey (ZGS) were being capacitated to undertake systematic exploration and develop projects capable of attracting investment.
“The mining sector remains a key anchor of Zimbabwe’s economic development. To further develop the sector, my Government is capacitating the Mining Promotion Corporation and the Zimbabwe Geological Survey to undertake systematic exploration, while also developing bankable projects for investment,” he said.
The announcement puts greater emphasis on the exploration stage of the mining value chain, where geological information is generated to establish the location, nature and potential scale of mineral deposits before major investment decisions are made.
For Zimbabwe, strengthening exploration could also expand the pipeline of projects available to investors beyond the country’s established mining operations.
The President linked the exploration drive to Government’s broader push for mineral beneficiation and value addition, highlighting developments in the lithium industry.
“In line with our thrust on mineral beneficiation and value addition, we take pride that we recently recorded the first locally produced lithium sulphate from Africa. Additional lithium sulphate plants are being established around the country,” he said.
The focus on bankable projects also points to an effort to move beyond the identification of mineral occurrences towards projects supported by sufficient technical and economic information to attract capital.
Zimbabwe has significant deposits of gold, platinum group metals, lithium, diamonds, chrome, nickel and other minerals, but the development of new deposits depends heavily on the availability and quality of geological information and exploration investment.
The strengthening of the MPC and ZGS therefore gives Government institutions a more prominent role in generating exploration opportunities and preparing projects for potential investment.
For the mining industry, systematic exploration is particularly important at a time when demand for minerals linked to energy transition, industrialisation and battery manufacturing is reshaping global investment patterns.
The President’s announcement also comes as Government continues to push for greater domestic beneficiation, with exploration expected to provide the resource base required to support processing and value-addition projects.
The emphasis on bankable projects could further help bridge the gap between geological potential and actual mining investment, particularly where deposits require additional technical work before development decisions can be made.
Zimbabwe’s mining transformation will ultimately depend not only on the minerals known to exist in the country, but also on the country’s ability to systematically identify new deposits, establish their commercial potential and bring viable projects to development.
President Mnangagwa’s directive places the MPC and ZGS at the centre of that exploration and project-development drive.
