Zimbabwe has inaugurated its first lithium processing plant, a $400-million facility built by Chinese-owned Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe in Goromonzi, roughly 30 kilometres east of the capital Harare, making it the first such plant on the African continent. The move is central to Harare's broader strategy of banning the export of unprocessed minerals — a freeze on raw lithium concentrate exports is already in place, with a full ban across 14 critical minerals set to take effect in 2027. President Emmerson Mnangagwa has framed the shift as an end to extractive investment models, with the government targeting domestic production of lithium batteries and solar panels, and pointing to over $1 billion in new investment since the export restrictions were announced in February.