Zimbabwe has rapidly emerged as one of the world’s largest producers of lithium – a mineral critical to the global green transition. But behind the statistics lies a more complex story of missed opportunities and unequal benefits.

In this science-to-policy conversation, Grasian Mkodzongi, senior researcher at the Nordic Africa Institute, draws on recent field studies in Goromonzi, and other mining areas, to explore the social and economic consequences of Zimbabwe’s lithium boom. He argues that the current extractive model – dominated by large foreign mining companies and lacking domestic processing infrastructure – leaves local communities excluded.

The discussion addresses questions such as:

• Who benefits from lithium extraction in Zimbabwe today?
• How can local communities and artisanal miners be included in the value chains?
• What policy measures can ensure that ordinary Zimbabweans, and not only the elites, gain more from the country’s mineral wealth?

Referring to successful mining policies in Indonesia and Chile, Grasian Mkodzongi calls for stronger state regulation and inclusion of small-scale miners in the lithium value chain. Without such reforms, he warns, the country risks repeating the same patterns of exploitation seen across Africa’s mineral resource sectors.

Watch the recorded science-to-policy conversation:

Listen to the audio version:

Read the policy note.