Mutapa Energy Resources has announced an independently verified 40 million-tonne lithium resource at Sandawana Mine, a landmark development that is expected to boost investor confidence and reinforce Zimbabwe’s position as one of the world’s emerging lithium producers.
The resource has been certified under the internationally recognised JORC Code, making it one of the country’s most credible lithium resource declarations and distinguishing it from mineral estimates that have not undergone independent verification by a competent person.
Speaking during a press conference in Harare on Tuesday, Mutapa Energy Resources Chief Executive Officer Innocent Rukweza said the announcement marks only the beginning of Sandawana’s potential, with the current estimate covering just 30 percent of the mining concession.
“The results relate only to 30 percent of Sandawana Mine. Seventy percent remains unexplored,” said Rukweza.
The JORC-compliant resource estimate follows an intensive 11-month exploration programme involving 103,000 metres of drilling, the collection and analysis of 33,000 samples, at a cost of US$24 million.
The exploration confirmed an estimated 40 million tonnes of lithium resources, of which 72 percent has been classified as Measured Resources—the highest confidence category under the JORC Code.
“It is my singular honour to announce that, to the best of our knowledge, we are the first Zimbabwean mine with measured resources constituting 72 percent of our total resource,” Rukweza said.
He said the certification means the resource has been independently validated and provides investors with confidence that the mineral estimate is reliable and suitable for financing decisions.
“It passes the test because it was measured by a competent person. It means it becomes bankable, it is auditable and investors can now have a look at that,” he said.
The announcement is also a reflection of Mutapa Investment Fund’s commitment to transparency, accountability and responsible resource reporting. By subjecting Sandawana’s lithium resource to independent JORC verification, the Fund has demonstrated its commitment to providing investors, financiers and the public with credible, internationally recognised resource estimates rather than relying solely on company-generated figures. The certification enhances investor confidence, reduces geological uncertainty and positions the project to attract long-term investment.
Beyond lithium, exploration has confirmed the presence of economically recoverable tantalum and niobium, two strategic minerals widely used in high-tech manufacturing and advanced industrial applications.
Operationally, Mutapa has already mined two million tonnes of ore from Sandawana and has commenced construction of a three-million-tonne-per-year lithium concentrator plant. The company is also developing supporting infrastructure, including roads and the relocation of 104 families, together with a school and clinic, to pave the way for mine expansion.
Meanwhile, exploration is intensifying across the remainder of the mining concession. Geochemical and geophysical surveys are set to begin on Blocks B and C, which account for 70 percent of the Sandawana property and remain largely unexplored.
Mutapa will also invest an additional US$18 million in the next phases of exploration on Block A, targeting 93,500 metres of additional drilling in a bid to increase the resource from the current 40 million tonnes to as much as 90 million tonnes.
“We want to upgrade our resource from the current 39.9 million tonnes to up to 90 million tonnes, if possible, from the results that we are going to get. And this is just on Block A,” Rukweza said.
He said the certified resource represents only a fraction of Sandawana’s potential.
“If you forget everything, just remember that at Sandawana there are 40 million tonnes of independently assessed, certified lithium,” he said.
The announcement is expected to strengthen confidence in Zimbabwe’s mining sector by demonstrating the growing adoption of internationally accepted reporting standards that provide investors with independently verified, bankable mineral resource estimates.