AS GLOBAL demand for critical minerals rises, young miners in Zimbabwe are seeking a place in lithium and rare earth supply chains.
Zimbabwe holds Africa’s largest lithium reserves, making it a strategic player in the global energy transition.
Emerging producers are welcoming Chinese investment while advocating for domestic processing and green energy infrastructure.
“We see ourselves as part of this global realignment,” said Nyasha Magadhi, chairman of the Young Critical Minerals Producers of Zimbabwe (YCMPZ).
“China’s presence in Zimbabwe is not just about extraction—it is about industrialisation, value addition, and futures thinking. We want to build competence, expand processing capacity, and make Zimbabwe a full node in the global battery supply chain.”
China has strengthened its control over critical minerals with export curbs and investments such as Zhongke’s US$1.1 billion lithium battery materials plant in Oman.
For Zimbabwe’s junior miners, these moves are both an inspiration and a challenge.
“The tariff elimination was not just a trade concession, it was a strategic partnership that allowed us to scale up, access premium prices, and reinvest into operations,” Magadhi said, referring to China’s removal of tariffs on Zimbabwean minerals.
Chinese investors have committed about US$4 billion to Zimbabwe’s lithium sector since 2021.
Major players include Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, Sinomine Resource Group, Chengxin Lithium, Yahua Group, and Tsingshan Holding Group.
Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe, a Huayou subsidiary, is set to commission Africa’s first lithium sulphate plant at Arcadia, with production exceeding 60,000 tonnes annually. Huayou’s total investment in Zimbabwe now stands at US$1.1 billion.
Young miners are also developing new processing capacity.
Magadhi holds a 15% stake in the US$30 million Hao Lithium Processing Plant in Midlands province.
“We are prospecting new ground, conducting feasibility studies, and positioning ourselves to build the next wave of processing plants,” he said.
Across the sector, young entrepreneurs are expanding downstream operations.
Nyasha Chido’s Ionosphere Investments in Harare produces 36,000 tonnes of lithium concentrates annually, aiming for 70,000 tonnes.
The company also mines tin, tantalum, and beryl. Chido supports the government ban on raw lithium exports.
In the chrome sector, Darel Mubu’s BlackBull Mining Services provides consultancy and operates a chrome processing facility in Mashonaland West.
Mubu works with the Young Miners Foundation (YMF) and Junior Chamber International Kumalo to build youth capacity.
YMF has launched the “Chrome Processing Initiative,” targeting employment for 500 people.
Magadhi praised President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government for policies that allow young miners to participate in mainstream operations.
“The Second Republic has created an environment where young people can genuinely become millionaires through productive capacity,” he said.
Government support includes partnerships with established firms. Over 5,000 small-scale miners in Shurugwi have benefited from a US$1 million equipment facility provided by Chengxi Investments.
Skills development is central to growth.
Wayne Mudamburi, president of the Association of Junior Mining Professionals of Zimbabwe (AJMPZ), said:
“Junior miners must be innovators, ESG custodians, and beneficiation pioneers. Our members want to move from pit to plant.”
AJMPZ and YMF are conducting technical skills programmes in lithium and chrome processing, supported by the Zimbabwe Youth Council.
“Battery manufacturing is complex, and if we want to compete, we need to train engineers, technicians, and other professionals,” said Hazel Karoro, AJMPZ secretary-general.
Global competition for rare earths and battery metals is intensifying.
The U.S. and EU have raised concerns over China’s export controls.
Zimbabwe has banned lithium ore exports and plans to stop concentrate exports around 2027, aiming to develop local processing capacity.
“We welcome China’s long-term planning,” Magadhi said.
“But young Zimbabweans must build wealth, skills, and sustainable businesses. It should be a partnership—not just a transaction.”
YCMPZ and AJMPZ are advocating for local ownership in cathode and anode manufacturing, battery recycling, and small-scale energy storage.
“Zimbabwe must start thinking about how our minerals can power African EVs and energy grids. We don’t want to remain consumers of finished technologies—we want to contribute to them,” said Mudamburi.
President Mnangagwa has encouraged youth to occupy economic space and drive transformation.
Speaking at National Youth Day in Marondera, he told over 30,000 youths:
“The targets in our National Development Strategy 2 and Vision 2030 demand young people who are diligent, focused, hard-working and patriotic. Go ahead and occupy the space. Deliver results in agriculture, mining, tourism, manufacturing, SMEs, and science, technology and innovation.”
Zimbabwe’s young miners aim to mirror China’s integrated approach, combining investment, skills development, and local beneficiation to secure a stable and sustainable role in global supply chains.
