Zimbabwe Stands Firm on 2027 Lithium Beneficiation Deadline, Says Mthuli Ncube

HARARE – Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Mthuli Ncube says the Government will maintain its January 2027 deadline requiring lithium producers to beneficiate their minerals locally, despite calls from mining companies for more time to complete processing plants.

The policy forms part of Zimbabwe's broader strategy to increase value addition in the mining sector, create jobs and maximise export earnings by moving away from the export of raw lithium concentrates. Speaking to journalists while on a visit to China, Ncube said producers that are unable to construct their own beneficiation plants before the deadline should enter into tolling agreements with companies that already have lithium processing capacity.

"We can't expect everybody to come up with a lithium concentrator; it's expensive. So they should sign MoUs with PLZ and Bikita Minerals. To us, that will be adequate for as long as they process their throughput through those two companies," Ncube said.

His remarks come after the Lithium Association of Zimbabwe appealed for an extension of the deadline, arguing that most producers were not yet ready to transition from producing lithium concentrates to higher-value lithium sulphate. The association's chairperson, Innocent Rukweza, recently revealed that of Zimbabwe's seven major lithium producers, only one is currently prepared to commence lithium sulphate production.

However, Ncube said the Government believes existing processing facilities at Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe (PLZ) and Bikita Minerals will provide sufficient beneficiation capacity for other producers through commercial processing agreements. Under the proposed arrangement, companies without their own refineries would transport their lithium concentrates to the two processing plants for beneficiation before export.

Zimbabwe plans to ban the export of lithium concentrates from January 2027, compelling mining companies to process the mineral locally before it is shipped to international markets.

The Government argues that local beneficiation will increase export earnings, stimulate industrialisation, create skilled employment and strengthen Zimbabwe's position in the global electric vehicle battery supply chain.

Zimbabwe is one of Africa's largest lithium producers and has attracted significant investment from Chinese mining companies in recent years, driven by soaring global demand for battery minerals used in electric vehicles and renewable energy storage technologies.

While industry players continue to seek greater flexibility over implementation timelines, the Government has indicated that the current deadline remains unchanged, with toll processing agreements viewed as a practical solution for companies that may not complete their own plants in time.

Zimbabwe lithium beneficiation deadline