Industrialist Bernard Mahara Mutanga has called for local processing of African mineral resources to create jobs, strengthen manufacturing and increase economic returns to producing communities.

Mutanga made the call while delivering an address titled “Business Not Politics: The Next 100 Years” at the Africa Mining Investment Conference 2026 in Zimbabwe.

He presented a proposed value-addition model demonstrating how a tonne of mineral-bearing rock valued at 40 dollars at the mine gate could generate substantially higher returns through processing.

The Group Chief Executive Officer of Berhard Development Corporation described the proposal as the “Harare Eye Opener”, urging African countries to retain more mineral value through local industrial development.

Using a sample of Zimbabwean rock, Mutanga said processing could increase its estimated value from 40 dollars to 22,822 dollars per tonne through an industrial carbonate route.

He further projected that a high-purity metal processing route could raise the value to 527,062 dollars per tonne, depending on mineral recovery, market prices and processing costs.

Mutanga said the proposed model involved extracting rubidium, lithium, antimony and gold, with scientific verification and technical support from the University of Zimbabwe.

He proposed engaging 120 formalised young miners in the extraction process, using mercury-free methods, personal protective equipment and blockchain-based traceability.

According to him, the initiative would link mineral extraction to research institutions, manufacturing facilities, local communities, financial institutions and international buyers.

Mutanga said the University of Zimbabwe would support scientific research and process design, while the Botswana International University of Science and Technology would contribute regional research and supply-chain partnerships.

He said access to soda ash from Botswana could reduce the cost of producing battery-grade lithium carbonate, strengthening Africa’s participation in electric vehicle supply chains.

The industrialist also advocated building processing facilities close to mining sites to create employment and reduce the movement of unprocessed minerals outside Africa.

He proposed pilot eco-villages in Zimbabwe and Botswana, featuring affordable housing, renewable energy, biogas systems and rainwater harvesting for mining communities.

Mutanga projected that five pilot villages could provide 250 homes and create 1,350 jobs in their first year, subject to implementation of the proposed plan.

The urged the governments of Zimbabwe and Botswana to facilitate industrial development through efficient licensing, local beneficiation policies and improved logistics.

He also called on African financial institutions and development agencies to support bankable mineral-processing projects through appropriate financing arrangements.

Mutanga said regional cooperation under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) could help establish integrated mineral-processing and manufacturing networks.

He argued that Africa’s mineral wealth could support greater industrialisation if countries coordinated production, research, infrastructure and access to international markets.

On market opportunities, Mutanga identified low-carbon steel production, electric vehicle batteries and antimony supplies for industrial and defence applications as potential areas for African investment.

He also highlighted rubidium’s potential applications in quantum computing, atomic clocks and specialised medical and defence technologies.

Mutanga contrasted the export of raw minerals with local processing, arguing that value addition could retain more revenue, jobs and technical expertise within African economies.

“If you truly love your neighbour, you will no longer buy his rock for 40 dollars and sell it back for 527,062 dollars,” he said.

He urged African governments, investors, researchers and communities to work together to develop mineral-processing industries that deliver broader economic benefits.

Mutanga, an architect and industrialist from Zimbabwe, is the Group Chief Executive Officer of Berhard Development Corporation and is associated with the proposed Bern-Win Utopia Eco-Smart City project in Harare.

The proposed model’s financial projections, mineral recovery estimates and production targets are based on figures presented by Mutanga at the conference and were not independently verified for this report.