Recently, the African mining industry has ushered in a series of important developments involving policy adjustments and project advancement.
The first is the new initiative of the Zimbabwean government.
On May 28, 2026, the Ministry of Mines of Zimbabwe issued a directive requiring all mines (including the rapidly growing lithium mining sub-sector) to immediately hand over 98% of middle and senior management positions to Zimbabwean citizens without grace.
At the same time, it is clear that idle foreign-funded mining assets will be recovered, and small foreign-funded mining operators must transform into large operators before January 1, 2027, otherwise they will exit the industry.
The directive is implemented in accordance with the Mines and Minerals Act and the Mine Management and Safety Regulations 1990. Companies that violate regulations will face penalties such as fines, suspension of operating licenses and even revocation of mining rights.
The Zimbabwe Mineworkers Federation expressed support for the move.
The introduction of this policy aims to strengthen local management and participation in mining and promote local employment and economic development.
Premier Africa Mining Company’s Zulu lithium and tantalum project has also made new progress.
On May 26, 2026, there was an update on the operation of the project.
Mining contractors are ready to mobilize additional mining equipment to meet expected ore feedstock requirements for planned plant operations.
The installation and testing of the plant blower system, the last major piece of machinery associated with the new spodumene flotation plant, has been successfully completed.
At present, the thermal commissioning work of the plant has been completed, including the grinding circuit and mica flotation section, and the thermal commissioning plan for the new spodumene flotation section is progressing smoothly.
As part of the final phase of Zulu’s production start-up, Xinhai Technology’s commissioning and optimization engineers are now on site.
The current commissioning plan is still on schedule to be completed in the second quarter of 2026.
This means that the project is making steady progress towards formal production and is expected to bring new supply to the lithium and tantalum market.
In addition, there is also good news from Vulcan’s Lionheart lithium hydroxide plant.
On May 28, Vulcan Energy reached financial completion for the US$3.9 billion in financing required to build the zero-carbon Lionheart lithium hydroxide plant project in Germany.
Funding options include equity and debt financing arrangements at the project, subsidiary and corporate levels.
Vulcan aims to produce 24,000 tons of lithium hydroxide per year to make 500,000 electric vehicle batteries.
The Lionheart site is expected to generate 275GWh of electricity and 560GWh of thermal energy per year for local consumers over its 30-year life.
The advancement of this project will not only help meet the demand for lithium hydroxide in the electric vehicle industry, but will also contribute to local energy supply.
To sum up, Zimbabwe’s mining policy adjustments will have a profound impact on the local mining landscape, and the project progress of Premier Africa Mining Company and Vulcan demonstrates the innovation and development potential in the mining sector.
As these projects progress, African mining is expected to play a more important role in the global resource market.
