HARARE, August 3 – Zimbabwe generated $782 million from lithium exports during the first six months of 2026, more than tripling the $237 million recorded during the same period a year earlier, according to Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube.
The sharp increase underscores the growing importance of lithium to Zimbabwe’s mining sector as the government intensifies efforts to promote domestic mineral beneficiation and capture more value from the global electric vehicle supply chain.
According to Ncube, lithium accounted for approximately 12% of Zimbabwe’s mineral export revenue during the first half of the year, ranking behind only gold and platinum group metals.
The government’s strategy is expected to further boost lithium’s contribution to export earnings following the April commissioning of Zimbabwe’s first lithium sulphate processing plant, which produces a higher-value battery material than raw lithium concentrate.
Zimbabwe has also announced that it will ban exports of lithium concentrate from January 2027, requiring mining companies to process more of the mineral domestically before export.
The policy forms part of broader efforts to increase value addition within the country’s mining industry and attract greater investment into downstream mineral processing.
According to the Ministry of Finance’s 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review, total lithium production is projected to reach 2.14 million metric tonnes this year, slightly below the 2.2 million tonnes produced in 2025.
Earlier this year, Zimbabwe temporarily suspended lithium concentrate exports in February, citing leakages and malpractice among some exporters.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s state minerals export agency reported that the country exported 1.13 million tonnes of lithium products in 2025, suggesting that producers are holding significant stockpiles at mining sites.
Zimbabwe has emerged as one of Africa’s leading lithium producers, attracting substantial investment from Chinese mining companies that dominate the country’s lithium sector.
Major operators include Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, Sinomine Resource Group, Chengxin Lithium Group, Sichuan Yahua Industrial Group, and Tsingshan Holding Group, all of which have invested in mining and processing projects as global demand for battery minerals continues to grow.
The government’s push for local processing reflects a broader trend across Africa, where resource-rich countries are seeking to move beyond raw commodity exports by developing domestic manufacturing and mineral processing industries that generate higher export earnings, create jobs and strengthen industrial development.
