Zimbabwe’s state-owned Kubimba Mining House plans to begin construction of a $270 million lithium enrichment unit at its Sandawana mine in the third quarter of 2025.
Commissioning is targeted for early 2027, according to CEO Trevor Barnard.
The project is designed to process 600,000 tonnes of lithium ore per year and will be developed in partnership with two major Chinese metals companies, Reuters reported.
Under the agreement, the Chinese partner will build and operate the factory for at least five years before handing it over to Kubimba. Bernard declined to name the companies, citing ongoing negotiations.
“We are still finalizing the last few agreements that need to be signed and making sure we have all the necessary and compatible industry conditions for our partners to begin construction,” Barnard said.
“We are looking at developing a landing site in the third quarter,” he added.
Barnard noted that the planned completion of the $270 million Sandawana lithium concentrator could coincide with a recovery in lithium prices.
Oversupply and lower-than-expected EV demand have since caused spot prices to fall by nearly 90%, but Chinese companies continue to invest heavily in Zimbabwe’s lithium sector to secure feedstock for domestic refineries.
Zimbabwe accounted for about 14% of China’s lithium imports last year, according to CRU Group data.
Analysts have suggested that the current price slump may not last long. Demand for lithium could outstrip supply by the end of the year, with recent production cuts and a recovery in EV sales in China expected to tighten the market.
“Our prediction is that lithium prices will recover sometime in 2027, right around the time that enrichment plants are expected to start production,” Barnard said.
Lithium export regulations
Zimbabwe, Africa’s leading lithium producer, last month announced plans to ban the export of lithium concentrate from January 2027 as part of a broader strategy to boost local value addition in the mining sector.
For years, Chinese companies operating in Zimbabwe have exported lithium concentrate to China for refining, avoiding local processing.
Zimbabwe has revealed that two lithium sulphate processing plants are currently under development as part of its industrialization drive.
One is located at Bikita Minerals, owned by China’s Sinomine Resource Group, and the other is located at Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe, operated by Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt.
Interest in lithium is growing across Africa. Countries such as Namibia, Mali, Ghana and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are ramping up exploration and mining efforts.
