Zimbabwe plans to introduce incentives to encourage local processing of minerals, President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced at a mining conference in Bulawayo. The initiative aims to expand mineral beneficiation and value addition, aligning with a broader African effort to process resources domestically before export.

Countries like Ghana and Nigeria have already taken steps in this direction, with new refineries opening this year. Zimbabwe, which holds the world’s third-largest platinum reserves and is Africa’s top lithium producer, has seen major investments from Chinese firms. The country recently banned the export of unprocessed lithium and base minerals to boost local industry and increase economic benefits.