Zimbabwe Invests in Tantalum And Niobium Processing

Gwanda Adds Tantalum and Niobium Recovery

Zimbabwe's Gwanda Lithium Mine has invested US$5 million in a new tantalum and niobium beneficiation plant, adding recovery of the two metals to its existing lithium processing operations. The development was reported following a recent visit to the mine by government officials in Matabeleland South.

The new processing circuit is designed to recover lithium, tantalum and niobium from the same ore stream. According to the mine, the additional circuit is expected to produce approximately 300 tonnes of tantalite and niobium concentrate per year once operating as planned.

The project is notable because tantalum and niobium are being recovered as additional mineral products rather than treated only as secondary material associated with lithium production. This approach allows more of the mineral content in the ore to be processed locally.

Gwanda Lithium Mine is located in the Mandihongola area of Matabeleland South. The mine began lithium operations in 2024 and has since developed processing capacity for lithium concentrate. Earlier reporting indicated that the operation had been producing lithium concentrate while expanding its beneficiation facilities.
 

The latest investment extends this processing model to tantalum and niobium. Rather than focusing on lithium alone, the mine can now separate additional valuable minerals contained within the same ore.
 

This is particularly relevant for lithium-bearing pegmatite deposits, where lithium minerals can occur together with tantalum- and niobium-bearing minerals. Mineral processing routes can be designed to recover these components through different separation stages depending on the characteristics of the ore. Processing projects in Zimbabwe have also used gravity separation as part of tantalum and niobium recovery circuits.

The Gwanda investment comes as Zimbabwe continues to encourage greater domestic processing of mineral resources.
 

The country has been tightening controls on exports of unprocessed minerals and concentrates while encouraging mining companies to invest in beneficiation and value-added processing. The policy direction is intended to retain a larger share of mineral value within Zimbabwe instead of relying mainly on the export of less-processed materials.
 

For Gwanda, recovering tantalum and niobium from the lithium ore stream represents another step in this direction. The project also illustrates how existing lithium operations can potentially create additional revenue streams by processing minerals that may previously have had limited local recovery.
 

The mine currently employs more than 800 people across its operations, according to company representatives quoted during the government visit. The company has also invested in additional mineral-processing activities, including gold processing.

Tantalum and Niobium Gain More Attention

The development is relevant beyond Zimbabwe because tantalum and niobium are important materials in specialized industrial supply chains.

Tantalum is widely used in applications requiring high corrosion resistance and reliable performance, while niobium is used in alloying, high-temperature materials and other advanced applications. Both metals are relatively specialized compared with major industrial commodities, making new sources and additional recovery capacity of interest to the international market.

The Gwanda project is not expected to immediately transform global tantalum or niobium supply. Its planned output of approximately 300 tonnes of combined tantalite and niobium concentrate per year is modest compared with the broader global mineral market. The more significant point is the addition of another African source of beneficiated tantalum- and niobium-bearing material and the demonstration that these metals can be recovered alongside lithium production.

For downstream buyers, the project highlights a broader change taking place in mineral supply chains: mining companies are increasingly looking beyond a single primary commodity and evaluating whether associated minerals can be recovered economically.
 

This can improve resource utilisation while creating additional sources of feedstock for downstream processing. For tantalum and niobium, additional beneficiation capacity can also contribute to a more diversified supply chain, particularly as mining and processing projects in Africa and other regions continue to develop.
 

At the same time, the actual impact of the Gwanda project will depend on the grade and recovery rate of the ore, the quality of the resulting concentrates, and the mine's ability to maintain commercial production at the planned level. The reported 300-tonne annual figure is an expected production level rather than confirmed long-term output.

Gwanda is not the only Zimbabwean operation looking at the recovery of tantalum and niobium from lithium-related resources. In April 2026, Mining Zimbabwe reported that Kamativi Mining Company was developing a recovery system for tin, tantalum and niobium at its lithium operation in Matabeleland North, with commissioning targeted for September 2026.
 

Taken together, these developments show that Zimbabwe's lithium sector is becoming more closely connected with the processing of other critical and specialty minerals.
 

For the international tantalum and niobium industry, the trend is worth watching. New recovery projects may not immediately change global supply, but they can gradually add new sources of concentrate and encourage further investment in mineral separation and local beneficiation.