Zimbabwe’s state-owned Kuvimba Mining House will break ground in Q3 2025 on a $270 million lithium concentrator at its Sandawana mine, aiming to commission the facility by early 2027.
The plant, expected to process 600,000 metric tons of lithium ore annually, is being developed in partnership with two Chinese metals giants under a Build-Operate-Transfer agreement. Kuvimba CEO Trevor Barnard emphasized the strategic timing of the project. “Our forecast indicates that lithium prices will recover significantly in 2027, which aligns perfectly with when we expect the concentration plant to be in full production,” he said. Lithium prices have fallen nearly 90% due to oversupply, but analysts expect a rebound as EV demand resurges in China.
The Chinese firms will operate the plant for at least five years before transferring control to Kuvimba. Their identities remain undisclosed amid ongoing negotiations. Meanwhile, Kuvimba is stockpiling lithium ore and using interim processing facilities to generate early revenue. The project reflects Zimbabwe’s push to localize value addition in mining. From January 2027, the country will ban exports of raw lithium concentrates to encourage domestic processing. Two lithium sulphate plants are also under construction, signaling Zimbabwe’s intent to move up the battery metals value chain and capture more of the global lithium market.