AVZ Minerals,[4] an Australian company, is developing the Manono lithium and tin project and claims to own (75%) of a joint venture with the Congolaise d'Exploitation Minière (25%) (Cominiere, a State-owned enterprise).

In 2021, AVZ agreed to sell a 24% stake in the venture to the Chinese battery manufacturer CATL for $240 million.

[6] AVZ's acquisition of 15% of the project in August 2021 has been disputed by the company Zijin Mining in the International Court of Arbitration.

During the dispute, Zijin tried to have the northern portion of the license reassigned to them, and offered to let Cominiere keep a $34 million payment if AVZ could be excluded from the mine's ownership.

[9] In addition to the new lithium project, as of 2022, the Canada-based Tantalex Resources Corporation was seeking to raise funds to reprocess tailings from the historical Manono mine.