Zimbabwe is reinforcing its push for mineral beneficiation and tighter export controls, positioning itself to capture more value from its vast resource base despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainty.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, Pfungwa Kunaka, said the country is leveraging its base of large-scale producers to move beyond raw mineral exports and deepen local processing.
“We stand at a very advantageous position,” Kunaka said, noting that several major producers have already begun investing in processing plants and are transitioning beyond the concentrate stage.
Zimbabwe earlier this year moved to halt the export of certain raw minerals, including lithium concentrates, in a policy shift aimed at forcing value addition within its borders. Kunaka said the decision was driven by concerns over “loss of value” and weak oversight mechanisms that were allowing potential revenue leakages.
Mineral ores often contain multiple valuable elements, and inadequate monitoring risks the unintended export of embedded minerals without proper accounting, he said. “If you don’t control that chain, you face the risk of losing some value.”
The government has since launched a broad review of the mining value chain, targeting gaps in monitoring, laboratory verification, documentation, and oversight at ports of exit. Authorities are also tightening compliance systems to ensure exports accurately reflect the mineral content being shipped.
Kunaka said the temporary suspension of certain exports has created space to address these structural weaknesses. The reforms are being implemented through a “whole-of-government approach,” involving agencies such as the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe and other regulatory bodies.
Progress is being made, he said, and authorities will consider revisiting the restrictions once systems are robust enough to prevent leakages and ensure maximum value retention.
Zimbabwe’s strategy reflects a broader shift among resource-rich African nations seeking to move up the value chain in energy and industrial minerals, as global demand for lithium, platinum group metals and copper continues to rise.
