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According to Lithium Producers Association of Zimbabwe chairman Innocent Rukweza, Chinese-owned and Chinese-backed companies now account for the overwhelming majority of operational lithium projects in the country.
“More than 80% of production is coming from Chinese-owned or Chinese-partnered projects,” Rukweza said in a recent interview.
“In fact, of all operational projects, they are effectively running production.”
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At least six beneficiation projects, including concentrators and lithium sulphate plants, are currently under construction and are expected to become operational from 2027.
However, despite Zimbabwe’s push to move further up the value chain, ownership of most operational assets remains concentrated in Chinese hands.
Rukweza said Chinese companies dominate both wholly owned mines and joint ventures, giving them significant influence across the entire lithium supply chain.
“It is very much a Chinese phenomenon,” he said.
“They went through the whole supply chain.”
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The concentration of ownership has raised questions about how much long-term strategic control Zimbabwe will retain over a mineral expected to remain one of its leading export earners as global demand for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage continues to grow.
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The mining sector mirrors developments in Zimbabwe’s entire economy, as one report from November 2025 by Global Press, a media project that represent local journalist from across the globe, found,
Zimbabwe’s National laws aimed at redressing colonial imbalances reserve retail sectors, like that of brickmaking, for locals. But companies with outside investment, particularly from China, routinely flout the rules …
Zimbabwe, like many other countries in Africa, embraces Chinese investment. In 2023, the government issued about 369 new licenses to Chinese investors, accounting for 60% of all foreign investment that year and representing about 154% more investors than 2022.
While the capital that comes from foreign direct investment can be beneficial to the country, the cost is steep. “It’s a double-edged sword,” says Joe Muzurura, a political analyst who has written extensively about this issue in Zimbabwe. It’s eroding local industries, he says … [Archived]
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