the lithium series, part four: what zambia's lithium industry could look like in 2036
years one to three. the exploration and declaration phase.
the zambia geological survey department, building on the british geological survey collaboration and the critical mineral potential of zambia guide published in 2025, undertakes a systematic airborne survey of the primary lithium-prospective pegmatite belts — specifically the choma belt of southern province where the misika high-grade LCT pegmatite is confirmed, and equivalent pegmatite terranes of northwestern and central provinces. the survey produces the first national-scale lithium prospectivity map.
the zambian government passes specific lithium mining and processing regulations — clear royalty rates, local content requirements, and the processing obligation mirroring zimbabwe's export ban on raw lithium concentrate — mandating a minimum level of in-country processing before export. these regulations signal to the international junior exploration and development community that zambia is serious, its terms are clear, and its government is committed.
first africa metals and other licence holders complete JORC or NI 43-101 compliant mineral resource estimates for the misika and adjacent LCT pegmatite targets — the bankable technical documents development finance institutions and equity investors require.
years three to seven. the development phase.
the most economically attractive confirmed LCT pegmatite completes pre-feasibility and bankable feasibility studies. a development financing package assembles — equity from a strategic mining investor, debt from development finance institutions, and an offtake agreement with a battery manufacturer or lithium refiner. a lithium concentrator is constructed. zambian workers trained through copperbelt university and UNZA partnerships. spodumene concentrate — the first value-added lithium product — flows from zambia into the international market.
years seven to ten. the processing phase.
a lithium hydroxide or lithium carbonate conversion facility built in zambia. the same value addition ambition the cobalt series argued for with NMC precursor manufacturing — the processing step currently dominated by china, representing the most significant value capture opportunity in the zambian lithium chain.
the regional collaboration opportunity: a DRC-zambia battery mineral processing initiative, with zimbabwe as regional partner. a coordinated southern african lithium processing strategy presenting a unified supply chain to american and european battery manufacturers would be more commercially powerful than any single country acting alone.
by 2036, on this trajectory, zambia could be producing spodumene concentrate and lithium hydroxide from one or more operating mines, with domestic processing capacity retaining significantly more value from the lithium chain than the raw concentrate export model.
the battery revolution is not waiting for zambia to decide. it is happening now, at a pace that will determine the shape of the lithium supply chain for the next thirty years.
the countries establishing themselves as reliable, ethical, well-governed lithium sources in the next five years will benefit from the battery economy for decades.
the lithium series continues. ⚡