Zimbabwe has introduced a new rail freight option for transporting lithium concentrate to Mozambique’s Port of Maputo, expanding export logistics for...
HARARE — Zimbabwe has introduced a new rail freight option for transporting lithium concentrate to Mozambique’s Port of Maputo, expanding export logistics for one of the country’s fastest-growing mineral sectors.
The National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) said the new arrangement was made possible through a partnership with Beitbridge Bulawayo Railway (BBR), a subsidiary of South Africa’s Grindrod, and Zimbabwean logistics company Silvergill.
The partnership has enabled the movement of the first 1,000 metric tonnes of lithium concentrate from Tsingshan Holding Group’s Gwanda Lithium Mine to the Port of Maputo by rail.
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According to the NRZ, the first 180-kilometre section of the journey will be carried on BBR’s railway line between Gwanda and Beitbridge. The cargo will then be transferred onto the NRZ’s 300-kilometre rail network linking Beitbridge to the Chicualacuala border with Mozambique.
From Chicualacuala, the shipment will continue along the Limpopo railway line for approximately 522 kilometres to the Port of Maputo, bringing the total rail journey from Gwanda to the port to about 1,000 kilometres.
Zimbabwe, Africa’s largest producer of lithium, has traditionally relied on road transport to move lithium concentrate to export ports. However, trucking has been associated with higher transport costs and logistical bottlenecks.
The introduction of rail freight is expected to provide mining companies with an additional transport option while easing pressure on the country’s road network.
The development comes as the NRZ continues efforts to revive rail freight operations through partnerships with private sector operators after years of underinvestment.
Freight volumes handled by the state-owned railway have fallen significantly over the years, declining from a peak of 12 million tonnes in the 1990s to about 2 million tonnes in 2025.
Most of Zimbabwe’s major lithium mines are located along a west-south-east transport corridor that links the country’s mining regions with Mozambique’s Indian Ocean ports.
Chinese mining companies dominate Zimbabwe’s lithium sector following investments estimated at US$2 billion since 2021. Major investors include Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, Sinomine, Sichuan Yahua, Chengxin Lithium and Tsingshan Holding Group.
Zimbabwe exported 1.13 million tonnes of lithium-bearing spodumene concentrate to China in 2025, accounting for about 15 percent of China’s lithium concentrate imports during the year.
The Government is encouraging greater local value addition within the lithium industry by promoting domestic processing before export.
Producers have projected that exports of lithium sulphate, a precursor material used in the manufacture of battery-grade lithium chemicals, could reach 344,000 tonnes by 2030 as processing capacity expands.
The new rail corridor is expected to strengthen Zimbabwe’s mineral export infrastructure while providing a more efficient logistics option for one of the country’s most important export commodities.
