Zimbabwe aims to move beyond exporting raw ore by processing lithium, with the first consignment of lithium sulphate already exported. This follows an earlier ban on raw mineral exports.

Zimbabwe is betting that its move into lithium processing will finally break the cycle of digging and shipping ore that has defined its mining sector for decades. This follows the export of the continent’s first consignment of lithium sulphate by Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe, a subsidiary of China’s Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, from its US$400 million Arcadia mine near Harare last month. The milestone came after Harare unexpectedly brought forward its ban on raw mineral exports to February this year to....