Tiyani Hahlani
In a bold step to boost Zimbabwe’s lithium value chain and assert its position in the global battery minerals market, state-owned Kuvimba Mining House has announced it will begin construction of a $270 million lithium concentrator at its Sandawana Mine in the third quarter of this year.
Commissioning of the facility is projected for early 2027, according to company CEO Trevor Barnard.
The strategic project, set to process 600 000 metric tons of lithium ore annually, is being executed in partnership with two major Chinese metals players.
The unnamed companies will finance, construct, and operate the plant for a minimum of five years before handing it over to Kuvimba.
Barnard confirmed that final agreements are being ironed out to pave the way for construction to begin within the next few months.
“We are still finalising the last few agreements that we need to put in place and making sure we have all the necessary and compatible industry conditions for our partner to start construction.
“We are looking at breaking ground in the third quarter,” said Barnard.
In the meantime, Kuvimba has been stockpiling lithium ore at Sandawana and transporting part of it to a Gwanda-based plant operated by Chinese steel and nickel giant Tsingshan Holding Group for initial processing.
The timing of the new plant’s commissioning could prove fortuitous. Lithium prices have tumbled nearly 90 percent over the past two years due to a global oversupply, primarily from Chinese producers.
This downturn has forced some mining operations to suspend activities and lay off workers. However, Barnard expressed cautious optimism about a market rebound aligning with the plant’s launch.
“Our forecast is that lithium prices will recover sometime in the year 2027, right at a point in time when we expect the concentration plant to be in production,” he said.
The announcement also dovetails with Zimbabwe’s policy to encourage more domestic beneficiation of its mineral wealth.
The government plans to ban the export of lithium concentrates beginning in 2027 to promote local value addition and job creation.
By that time, other Chinese firms such as Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt and Sinomine are expected to have completed downstream processing facilities within the country.
With Zimbabwe already established as Africa’s leading lithium producer, the Sandawana investment signals a new era in which the country seeks to retain greater value from its vast mineral reserves.
The success of this project could pave the way for more sustainable economic growth and a stronger foothold in the fast-growing electric vehicle supply chain.
