HARARE – The National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) has secured a foothold in Zimbabwe’s rapidly expanding lithium export industry after successfully dispatching its first 1,000-tonne trainload of lithium concentrate from Gwanda Lithium Mine to the Port of Maputo in Mozambique.
The milestone marks NRZ’s entry into one of the country’s fastest-growing mineral logistics corridors and represents a significant step in the railway operator’s strategy to rebuild freight volumes, strengthen revenues and position rail as a key component of Zimbabwe’s mining export infrastructure.
Under the logistics arrangement, freight operator Beitbridge Bulawayo Railway (BBR) transports the lithium concentrate approximately 180 kilometres from Gwanda Lithium Mine to Beitbridge. From there, NRZ assumes responsibility for moving the cargo over more than 300 kilometres to Chicualacuala, where it continues its journey to the Port of Maputo for export.
The agreement provides NRZ with access to the country’s booming lithium sector, which has emerged as one of Zimbabwe’s most important foreign currency earners amid growing global demand for battery minerals used in electric vehicles and energy storage technologies.
The contract is expected to contribute to higher freight volumes on the national rail network while supporting government efforts to increase mineral exports through more efficient and cost-effective transport solutions.
For NRZ, the development comes as the parastatal seeks to reverse years of declining freight traffic by targeting high-volume commodities from the mining, agriculture and manufacturing sectors. Rail transport offers mining companies a more economical alternative for bulk mineral exports compared with road haulage, particularly as export volumes continue to rise.
The new export corridor also aligns with Zimbabwe’s broader mineral beneficiation strategy, which aims to maximise value from the country’s vast lithium resources while improving the efficiency of supporting logistics infrastructure.
Logistics company Silvergill is supporting the operation, providing coordination across the supply chain to facilitate the movement of lithium concentrate from mine to export terminal.
The successful inaugural shipment positions NRZ to pursue additional opportunities in Zimbabwe’s growing mining logistics market as investment in lithium production continues to accelerate.
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