Zimbabwe accelerates lithium processing investments ahead of a January 2027 ban on raw concentrate exports. IH Securities projects national output will climb from 2.47 million tonnes in 2024 to 3.26 million tonnes in 2025. Major producers are constructing downstream facilities to meet beneficiation requirements. Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe builds a 50,000 tonne-per-year lithium sulphate plant while Bikita Minerals commits $500 million to sulphate production and $400 million for smelting operations. The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority collects a 5 percent levy on unprocessed concentrates starting this year.
Global electric vehicle sales surged 35 percent in early 2025, reaching four million units and driving lithium demand higher. Zimbabwe holds the world's seventh-largest lithium reserves at 480,000 metric tonnes, with deposits at Bikita containing 6.5 percent lithium oxide concentrations. Power shortages present significant operational challenges as mining consumes half the nation's electricity amid a 30 percent grid deficit. Foreign investment reached $651 million in the first quarter compared to just $1.27 million in domestic funding.
Global electric vehicle sales surged 35 percent in early 2025, reaching four million units and driving lithium demand higher. Zimbabwe holds the world's seventh-largest lithium reserves at 480,000 metric tonnes, with deposits at Bikita containing 6.5 percent lithium oxide concentrations. Power shortages present significant operational challenges as mining consumes half the nation's electricity amid a 30 percent grid deficit. Foreign investment reached $651 million in the first quarter compared to just $1.27 million in domestic funding.
