Zimbabwe’s gamble on forced local processing has paid off spectacularly, with lithium sales value skyrocketing 413 percent to USD1.24 billion, despite export volumes rising just 23 percent.
The numbers prove a brutal truth: raw rock is poor man’s gold.
Under the NDS2 framework, Harare banned unprocessed lithium ore exports, forcing miners to refine domestically.
The result gave a shift from cheap rubble to high-value lithium sulphate, a critical precursor for battery materials.
While global lithium prices have slumped, Zimbabwe’s earnings have surged, insulating the economy from volatility that has crushed other producers.
“Value addition isn’t a slogan-it’s a shield,” said industry sources tracking the windfall.
The policy is now attracting billions in infrastructure investment and generating thousands of local jobs, positioning the southern African nation as a green-energy heavyweight, not by digging more, but by keeping the fire at home.
“Raw exports are dead. Refined wealth is the new currency,” said Mines Ministry official.
