development-economics academic

Analyses Zimbabwe's 'resource-nationalism plus Chinese investment' model: the government banned raw lithium ore exports in 2022 to force value-addition processing onshore; Chinese firms stepped in with the capital to build processing plants; asks whether Zimbabwe captures meaningful revenue or whether the value chain still concentrates in China. Notes the sector generated no less than $2bn in national economic value in 2026.

“Zimbabwe's lithium pivot offers promises but pitfalls: state revenue depends on whether processing contracts genuinely transfer value or simply move the chokepoint.”