HARARE – Zimbabwe is poised to become a significant player in the global lithium market, with vast untapped resources lying within the Great Dyke region, a key mining official revealed.
Addressing the Critical Minerals Africa (CMA) 2024 Forum in Cape Town last week, Thomas Gono, president of the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe, underscored the immense potential for lithium exploration within Zimbabwe’s borders.
“With only one active project – the Bikita Lithium Facility – Zimbabwe is currently producing 300,000 tonnes of lithium annually,” Gono told the forum delegates. “Imagine the output if we explored the entire country,” he added, hinting at the substantial opportunities awaiting development.
The Great Dyke is known to contain not only lithium but also copper, platinum, and other critical minerals essential for the energy transition and global technology industries.
Gono outlined Zimbabwe’s strategic vision, which includes extensive exploration for rare earth elements and emphasising investment in value-added processes. Moving away from the export of raw minerals, Zimbabwe aims to drive economic growth through mineral beneficiation, revenue generation, and job creation by developing local skills.
As Zimbabwe gears up to expand its lithium industry, other Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries are also advancing in their mining sectors. Zambia and Tanzania, for example, are implementing policy reforms to stimulate their respective mining industries.
Sokwani William Chilembo, chief executive of Zambia’s Chamber of Mines, highlighted Zambia’s recent policy reforms designed to foster investment by addressing energy shortages and promoting growth. Chilembo noted Zambia’s wealth of minerals, including lithium, graphite, and rare earth elements, which offer significant investment potential.
Tanzania, meanwhile, is focusing on small-scale mining. According to Benjamin Mchwampaka, executive secretary of Tanzania’s Chamber of Mines, recent updates to the Mining Act aim to empower small-scale miners, who make up a substantial part of Tanzania’s mining workforce. “With 7 million small-scale miners, their role is crucial,” Mchwampaka remarked.
As competition heats up within the region, Zimbabwe’s vast lithium potential and its focus on value addition place it in a promising position to become a leader in Africa’s critical minerals sector.
Source: APA News