Zimbabwe's Mineral Exports Double to $4.7 Billion as Lithium Overtakes Other Metals
Zimbabwe's Mineral Exports Double to $4.7 Billion as Lithium Overtakes Other Metals
Lithium has become the country's second-biggest mineral export after gold, overtaking platinum group metals with $2.16 billion in sales in the first nine months of 2026, nearly four times last year's total, according to the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe.
The surge was reportedly driven by a 283% increase in spodumene concentrate prices.
Key details:
🟠Overall mineral sales, excluding gold, have doubled compared to last year.
🟠Lithium now accounts for nearly half of these non-gold mineral earnings, making it the top non-gold export.
🟠The boom is largely driven by Chinese companies, which have invested heavily in local mining and processing facilities.
The surge comes as President Emmerson Mnangagwa has announced that starting in January 2027, Zimbabwe will stop exporting raw lithium and will export only processed lithium sulfate. "The narrative is changing," he said, urging stakeholders to transition to this new reality.
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