[SMM Flash] SADC Urged to Shift from Raw Mineral Exports to Processing, Zimbabwe's Lithium Ban Cited as Model

Sinomine Resource Group's Zimbabwe unit, Masingo Lithium Technology, has obtained EIA approval for its 100,000 t/y lithium sulfate plant at Bikita, moving the project into full construction with contractors China Railway No. 9 Group and Shandong Dadi now on site. Completion is targeted for mid-2027. The clearance formalizes a plan first disclosed in September 2024 and reaffirmed via Sinomine's RMB 5.2 billion ($764 million) fundraising in May 2026, rather than signaling new capital commitment. Bikita becomes Zimbabwe's third Chinese-backed lithium sulfate project, joining Huayou's 50,000 t/y Arcadia plant commissioned July 2026, running near 60% of capacity as of late July and Yahua's Kamativi facility construction started February 2026, capacity undisclosed. Combined announced capacity across all three approaches 200,000+ t/y once complete, ahead of Zimbabwe's January 2027 concentrate export ban. SMM View: Arcadia's slower than nameplate ramp is the key benchmark here if Bikita follows a similar curve at double the capacity, full-rate output likely slips into 2028 despite a mid-2027 completion date. With all three plants now past groundbreaking, Zimbabwe's beneficiation push has shifted from policy to physical build out, the next signal to watch is how strictly the export ban is enforced against each plant's actual commissioning timeline, not just its announced one.

Savannah Resources (LON:SAV) has signed three benefit-sharing agreements with local baldios (communal land bodies) around its Barroso lithium project in northern Portugal, securing land access to Blocks A and C of the Aldeia mining concession, which host a 3.5 Mt resource and 1.6 Mt reserve. The agreements grant communities participation in project oversight, local reinvestment of benefits, and inflation-indexed rent compensation. The company is also advancing private land acquisitions and preparing compulsory purchase procedures for remaining parcels. CEO Emanuel Proença said the deals reflect the company's commitment to community engagement. Barroso is among Europe's most advanced hard-rock lithium projects, supporting the EU's push for domestic battery raw material supply.