Online Reporter
George Maponga-Masvingo Bureau
ZIMBABWE’S largest lithium miner, Sinomine Bikita Minerals, is set to begin commercial production of pollucite — an extremely rare mineral that contains cesium, an element used in high-precision applications across various high-tech industries.
Pollucite is a zeolite mineral known for its high cesium content, and its commercial mining in Zimbabwe marks a first for the country, and potentially the entire African continent.
The Chinese-owned mine has completed the construction of a pollucite processing plant at its Bikita site in Masvingo Province.
The plant is expected to produce between 150 tonnes and 300 tonnes of pollucite monthly, with the mineral currently fetching around US$2 500 per tonne on the global market.
The development represents a significant milestone in Zimbabwe’s broader mineral beneficiation strategy, positioning Masvingo as a growing hub for critical mineral extraction and value addition.
The development follows Sinomine’s commissioning of spodumene and petalite processing plants in 2023, part of a US$300 million investment aimed at supporting lithium battery production.
Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Ezra Chadzamira, toured the new facility and expressed optimism about its socio-economic potential.
“We are excited that during our routine tour of Sinomine Bikita Minerals, we were able to witness operations in the pollucite processing plant where a new mineral, pollucite, that was recently discovered at the mine, is processed,” he said.
“The new mineral (pollucite) contains cesium which is an element used to manufacture explosives and is also key in the petroleum extraction industry.
“Pollucite is a rare mineral and its discovery at Bikita Minerals is a boon for the national economy because this is the first such discovery in Zimbabwe and the whole of Africa.
“Sinomine Bikita Minerals will produce a maximum of 300 tonnes of pollucite monthly and to show how precious the mineral is, it averages around US$2 500 per tonne.”
The commencement of pollucite production comes as Sinomine Bikita Minerals has begun constructing a US$500 million lithium sulphate plant, a key step towards beneficiating lithium locally.
The plant will help the company meet the Government’s directive to stop the export of raw lithium by January 2027.
“The lithium sulphate plant construction has started at Bikita Minerals and the investment is worth more than US$500 million and will create more jobs while bringing the mining firm closer to production of beneficiated lithium,” added Minister Chadzamira.
In addition to its industrial investments, Sinomine is constructing over 250 staff houses at its Bikita site.
This development is part of the company’s broader corporate social responsibility programme, which seeks to enhance local living standards and align mining with community development.
Minister Chadzamira also stressed the importance of aligning mining taxation laws to encourage continued foreign direct investment, saying Sinomine’s presence in Zimbabwe reflects trust in the country’s economic stability and policy direction.
Globally, pollucite is an extremely rare mineral, with only a few known commercial producers.
The largest known deposits are in Bernic Lake, Canada, and Manitoba, where cesium is extracted and refined primarily by Sinomine Resource Group, the parent company of Sinomine Bikita Minerals.
Other smaller deposits have been reported in Australia and Namibia, but commercial production remains limited.
With the launch of its pollucite operations, Zimbabwe joins this exclusive group of producers, potentially strengthening its position in the global critical minerals supply chain.
