Zimbabwe is one of the regional leaders in using legislation to add value to mineral exports, says Tania Mandaza, vice president of Mining and Metals at Stanbic Bank in Zimbabwe.
“Africa must move beyond the traditional pit-to-port approach and start creating real value within its borders,” she says.
“When we co-develop markets, rail, renewables, processing, and supply-chain traceability, the value grows and accrues locally.
“That’s how African miners, governments and communities win together.
“Zimbabwe, for instance, is Africa’s top producer of lithium and holds the third-largest platinum reserves globally.
“The Zimbabwe government is leveraging these resources by encouraging companies to set up processing plants locally rather than exporting raw ore.
“This shift is not just economic, it is strategic. Beneficiation creates skilled jobs, strengthens governance, and positions Africa as a global hub for green technology.”
University of Witwatersrand researchers Glen Nwaila and Grant Bybee estimate that processing critical minerals and elements in Africa would create around 2.3 million jobs on the continent.
It would raise continental GDP by about 12%.
Other regional countries focusing on beneficiation through the imposition or planned introduction of raw material export quotas are the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for cobalt and copper, Botswana (diamonds), Namibia (rare earth minerals), Zambia (copper), Ghana (lithium and gold through its ‘green minerals policy’), Morocco (cobalt sulphate industry), Malawi (rutile).
South Africa is losing much of its processing capabilities through the closure of smelters.
Mandaza’s view is supported by Edward Shivute, acting chief executive officer of the Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG), who told Freight News: “The WBCG believes that the southern African mining sector is entering a strategic growth phase, supported by rising global demand for critical minerals, increased investment in energy transition resources, and a shift from purely volume-based extraction toward higher-value production, digital modernisation and local beneficiation.
“From a logistics and trade facilitation perspective, this transition presents significant opportunities,” he adds.
“We see our role as critical in enabling this growth by ensuring seamless, safe, and cost-effective logistics solutions that enhance corridor competitiveness and support mining operators with reliable access to international markets.”
