Story by Stanley James, Business Editor
ENERGY transition minerals will dominate discussions at the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe Annual Conference in Victoria Falls next week as the country positions itself to capitalise on growing global demand for clean energy technologies.
The conference will bring together representatives from across the mining sector to explore opportunities in minerals critical to the global energy transition, including lithium, Platinum Group Metals, cobalt, copper, manganese, graphite and nickel.
Zimbabwe is stepping up efforts to increase production and beneficiation of these strategic minerals as demand rises worldwide for materials used in electric vehicles, battery storage systems and renewable energy infrastructure.
Chamber of Mines Chief Executive Officer Dr Isaac Kwesu said Government’s policy direction on value addition is expected to accelerate growth across the sector.
“These are minerals which are essential for building clean energy technologies. Remember Government came up with a policy to ban all raw mineral exports, so we expect our lithium sector to do a lot. The minerals earmarked for this energy transition roadmap also include cobalt, copper, manganese, graphite, Platinum Group Metals among many others. They are all essential for capturing energy and transmitting it into electricity,” he said.
Dr Kwesu said preparations for the Chamber of Mines Annual General Meeting and Conference are at an advanced stage, with strong participation expected from industry stakeholders.
“Indeed, the stage is now set for what will become a historic event, that is the Annual General Meeting and Conference. Over 500 delegates have also confirmed participation, and this is one of the key platforms that enables the mining sector to realise its potential, thereby contributing to overall economic development at a time the nation is gearing for an upper middle income society by 2030,” Dr Kwesu said.
The conference comes as Zimbabwe’s mining industry continues to expand its contribution to the economy, with the Chamber projecting foreign currency earnings of more than US$7 billion this year, up from around US$4 billion in 2025.
Industry leaders are expected to use the gathering to discuss investment opportunities, technological innovation, value addition and strategies to strengthen Zimbabwe’s position as a key supplier of minerals required for the global transition to cleaner energy.
