Trymore Tagwirei

Premier African Minerals Limited says it does not expect Zimbabwe’s recent suspension of lithium concentrate and raw mineral exports to disrupt its long-term production plans at the Zulu Lithium and Tantalum Project, as it continues engagement with government authorities.

The company was responding to a recent announcement by the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development suspending exports of lithium concentrates and unprocessed minerals with immediate effect.

The measure forms part of Zimbabwe’s broader drive to promote in-country beneficiation and value addition within the mining sector.

In a corporate update issued on 2 March 2026, Managing Director Graham Hill said the company remains in open dialogue with the Ministry and is aligned with the country’s beneficiation objectives.

He noted that Premier had previously presented its value addition roadmap for the Zulu project and would continue engaging authorities to ensure its operational plans remain consistent with evolving policy requirements.

The board said it understands the export suspension to be targeted at specific issues and, based on current information, does not envisage the measure impeding Zulu’s future commercial production strategy.

However, it indicated that further updates would be provided once the regulatory position is clarified.

Flotation plant installation advances.

The company also confirmed progress on the installation of a new spodumene flotation plant at Zulu, a development it views as central to its processing and value addition strategy.

According to the update, the new 15–20 tonne-per-hour spodumene flotation circuit is expected to arrive on site on 3 March 2026. A specialist installation engineer from Yantai Xinhai Mining Machinery Co., Ltd. has already arrived to oversee assembly.

The new circuit will replace the previous flotation plant, while the rest of the processing infrastructure will be retained. Additional materials, including components for access walkways and electrical systems, are being procured separately and will be delivered during the assembly phase.

Commissioning and optimisation of the plant are targeted for the second quarter of 2026.

Alignment with beneficiation policy.

Premier confirmed that it formally engaged the Ministry in 2024 to present its beneficiation and value addition plans for Zulu. These included longer-term processing and optimisation initiatives designed to enhance domestic value addition.

Zimbabwe has in recent years intensified efforts to ensure that lithium producers invest in local processing capacity rather than exporting raw materials. The government’s latest export suspension signals a continuation of that policy stance.

While acknowledging the regulatory shift, Premier maintains that its planned flotation upgrades and longer-term processing ambitions place the Zulu project in alignment with national objectives.

For now, the company says it will continue discussions with authorities as it advances plant installation and prepares for commissioning later this year.