Sandawana Mines, a subsidiary of Mutapa Energy Resources, has officially announced a JORC-certified mineral resource of 39.9 million tonnes of lithium-bearing ore, marking a significant milestone for Zimbabwe’s mining sector, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
The announcement was made by Mutapa Energy Resources CEO Innocent Rukweza during a press briefing in Harare, where he detailed the results of an aggressive 11-month exploration programme on Block A of the mining claims.
The JORC-compliant resource, independently verified by a competent person, consists of 39.9 million tonnes of ore. Significantly, 72% of this resource—amounting to 28.7 million tonnes—is classified as measured and indicated, representing the highest level of geological certainty.
“It is my singular honour to announce that we are the first Zimbabwean mine with measured resources constituting 72% of our total resource,” said Rukweza. “Most mines are way below that. It passes the test because it was measured by a competent person, and it means that it becomes bankable.”
The remaining 8 million tonnes is classified as inferred. The resource has an average grade of 1.39% lithium oxide (Li₂O), with the highest-grade sample recorded at 5.7% and a cut-off grade of 0.4%.
Extensive Exploration Programme
The exploration on Block A Phase 1 involved 103,000 metres of drilling across 570 holes, with 33,000 samples collected and tested. The exercise cost US$24 million.
Dr Brighton Bumira, Head of Geology and Projects at Mutapa Energy Resources, explained the exploration methodology:
“We did mapping to identify rocks and minerals on the surface, then trenching up to one metre before planning the 570 holes targeting different elevations. We used Datamine software and ordinary kriging methodology for resource estimation, with SWATH validation confirming our numbers.”
70% of Claims Unexplored
The Sandawana mining claims cover 3,800 hectares divided into three blocks: Block A, Block B, and Block C. Notably, the current results relate exclusively to Block A, which constitutes only 30% of the total mining claims.
“The remaining 70%—Block B and Block C—has not yet been explored. We are currently conducting geochemical and geophysical analyses on those areas, with initial results expected soon,” Rukweza stated.
Investment and Infrastructure
Mutapa Energy Resources is advancing plans to establish a 3 million-tonnes-per-annum concentrator plant, with construction expected to begin by June 2026. The plant will take approximately 18 to 24 months to complete.
The total investment required for Block A development is estimated at US$700 million, broken down as follows:
- Concentrator plant and infrastructure: US$300 million
- Sulphate plant for battery-grade lithium production: US$400 million
To date, the mine has mined 2 million tonnes of ore, with more than 600,000 tonnes stockpiled for processing.
Additional Minerals Present
The resource contains six elements alongside lithium, of which only tantalum and niobium can be economically extracted. These elements occur in small quantities measured in parts per million (ppm) rather than percentages. Other elements, including caesium and beryllium, occur in uneconomical quantities.
Future Exploration Plans
The company has outlined an aggressive exploration roadmap:
- Phase 2 (Block A): Additional 23,500 metres of drilling, 8,500 samples, US$6 million cost
- Phase 3 (Block A upgrade): 70,000 metres of drilling, 30,500 samples, US$12 million cost
The company aims to upgrade the resource from 39.9 million tonnes to 90 million tonnes on Block A alone. Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga recently indicated that exposed reserves currently stand at 39 million tonnes, with the full concession potentially hosting up to 600 million tonnes of lithium resources.
The development aligns with Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) and the planned 2027 ban on lithium concentrate exports, as the country pushes for beneficiation and value addition.
“We are committed to value addition. In conjunction with NDS2, there is going to be a ban around 2027 on the export of concentrates. We have started receiving interest from partners who can assist us in setting up lithium sulphate plants,” Rukweza confirmed.
