Who benefits from Zimbabwe’s lithium boom?

Zimbabwe's lithium industry is dominated by large-scale mining projects, mostly backed by Chinese investment. In April, Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe (PLZ) exported its first lithium sulphate, a higher-value processed product, from its $400 million plant near Harare. Bikita Minerals announced a multimillion-dollar investment program to produce lithium precursor chemicals, aligning with Zimbabwe's beneficiation strategy. These developments position Zimbabwe as a leading African producer of lithium, a key mineral for electric vehicle batteries.