By: Joseph Jeremia
Zimbabwe is Africa’s top lithium producer, with 2.4 million tons of concentrate in 2024. The SADC nation plans to stop exporting lithium concentrate from January 2027.
The goal of this move is to develop a local processing industry that can create more local value from the mineral.
Mining Minister, Winston Chitando, announced the decision last week Tuesday. He said the move aligns with ongoing lithium sulfate plant projects, particularly those led by Chinese companies Sinomine and Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt. These are firms building processing plants at the Bikita and Arcadia mines.
Lithium sulfate is made by refining lithium concentrate and is used to produce high-value battery-grade chemicals like lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide.
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