Online Reporter
Nqobile Bhebhe, [email protected]
THE Government has been urged to accelerate initiatives aimed at promoting mineral exploration to unlock billions of dollars in international exploration funding and safeguard Zimbabwe’s position as a leading global producer of strategic minerals.
Mining experts say sustained exploration is critical for discovering new deposits, replacing depleted resources and ensuring the long-term growth of a sector that remains a key pillar of export earnings, foreign direct investment and economic development.
Particular emphasis has been placed on lithium, a strategic mineral driving the global energy transition, with Zimbabwe emerging as Africa’s largest producer and holding some of the world’s most significant hard-rock lithium deposits.
Presenting a paper on creating an enabling environment for junior mining in Zimbabwe at the ongoing Mine Entra in Bulawayo, geologist Mr Kennedy Mthethwa said the country needed to strengthen support mechanisms for exploration companies, particularly junior miners, to unlock its vast but underexplored mineral wealth.
Mr Mthethwa said exploration remained the foundation of any successful mining industry, warning that failure to continuously discover new deposits could threaten future production levels.
“We are very happy to say that we are now producing 7 to 8% of the global lithium production from our five mines.
“My question I leave with you is, so after these mines are depleted, where are the next lithium mines?
“Are we going to go from 8% global lithium production to 1% to 2% because there is no new lithium mine from exploration in pipeline now and this we can talk of gold as well and other minerals.”
“Exploration is very important because without exploration there is no mining. We need to create an environment where exploration companies can come in and invest billions of dollars into finding new deposits,” said Mr Mthethwa.
He said Zimbabwe’s extensive mineral endowment presented a major opportunity to attract global exploration capital, but highlighted the need for supportive policies and regulations that encourage investment into early-stage mineral discovery.
“Exploration companies are the ones that take the risk of looking for these deposits. We need to make sure that we create a conducive environment for them because without them we will not have future mines,” he said.
Zimbabwe has attracted significant investment into its lithium sector in recent years, with several projects now operational or under development, strengthening the country’s position in the global battery minerals market.
However, industry experts say maintaining this momentum will require accelerated exploration programmes to identify new resources and build a pipeline of future mines.
The push for increased exploration comes as Government places mining at the centre of economic transformation under the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), with the sector expected to continue driving export growth, employment creation and foreign direct investment.
Mining remains one of Zimbabwe’s largest foreign currency earners, contributing significantly to export receipts and attracting a substantial share of investment inflows.
Industry players say continued resource replacement through exploration will be essential if the country is to sustain production levels and maximise value from its mineral resources.
