Bikita Minerals has been lauded for driving Zimbabwe’s beneficiation agenda, with Government commending the mining company’s efforts to advance value addition and mineral processing as part of the country’s broader industrialisation drive.
The Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr Zhemu Soda, made the remarks, yesterday during a visit to Bikita Minerals in Masvingo Province, which marked the first stop of a tour of high-impact development projects aimed at showcasing investments contributing to the country’s economic transformation.
Addressing officials during the tour, Dr Soda said Government was encouraged by the progress being made at Bikita Minerals, describing the mine as a key player in Zimbabwe’s industrialisation agenda.
“Bikita Minerals exemplifies the nation’s commitment to maximising value from its mineral resources through beneficiation.
This is the direction that Government has consistently championed because value addition creates more employment opportunities, enhances industrial growth and significantly increases export earnings,” he said.
Dr Soda said investments in mineral processing facilities would enable Zimbabwe to retain more value from its natural resources while strengthening the country’s position in global mineral value chains.
“We are moving away from the export of raw minerals towards processing and manufacturing. This approach ensures that Zimbabweans benefit more from their natural resources through increased investment, technology transfer, skills development and sustainable job creation,” he said.
He added that the Second Republic remained committed to creating an enabling environment that encourages mining companies to invest in downstream industries in line with the country’s economic development agenda.
“Our vision is to build a modern, industrialised economy where our mineral resources become a catalyst for inclusive economic growth. Projects such as those at Bikita Minerals demonstrate that Government policies on beneficiation are yielding tangible results,” said Dr Soda.
During the tour, Bikita Minerals revealed that it is advancing plans to establish a lithium sulphate processing plant as part of its contribution to Government’s value addition and beneficiation programme.
“Bikita Minerals is working on setting up a lithium sulphate processing plant in line with the Government’s policy of value addition and beneficiation. The project is progressing well, with completion scheduled for the second quarter of 2027.
The new processing plant would enable more lithium to be processed locally before export, increasing the value of Zimbabwe’s mineral exports while creating additional employment opportunities and supporting the growth of downstream industries,” the company added.
The planned investment is expected to strengthen Zimbabwe’s position as one of Africa’s leading lithium producers while advancing Government’s objective of maximising economic returns from the country’s strategic mineral resources.
