Kenya: Artisanal Miners in Western Kenya Move Away From Mercury
Artisanal gold miners in western Kenya are transitioning away from mercury after a decade of toxic use that contaminated water sources across the Lake Victoria basin. The UN‑backed planetGOLD programme, funded by a $4.24 million GEF grant, is training miners, formalising cooperatives and introducing mercury‑free mechanical processors such as gravity concentrators. Early demonstration sites show gold recovery rates jumping from roughly 20 % to 90 % while reducing health risks. However, financing shortfalls and infrastructure delays threaten full rollout of the new technology.
Tanzania: Tanzania Trumpets Its Favourable Climate, Stable Policies to Lure Mining Investors
Tanzania's Ministry of Minerals announced a stable policy environment to attract mining investors, meeting with China's Liaoning Fangda Group. The government highlighted its commitment to using mineral resources for economic growth and industrial development. Fangda expressed interest in strategic projects...
South Africa: North West Raises Alarm Over Illegal Mining, Chrome Wash Plants
The North West Provincial Legislature’s Economic Development Committee warned that illegal chrome wash plants and unregulated mining are proliferating in Bojanala and Madibeng. In the 2025/26 fiscal year, inspectors found 30 of 70 wash plants operating without environmental authorisation, and...
Zimbabwe: Chinese Mining Firm Launches Tree Planting Drive Amid Environmental Concerns
Chinese-owned Ming Chang Sino‑Africa launched a tree‑planting drive in Shamva on the International Day of Forests, partnering with Mingchang Primary School and the Earth Co‑Existence Initiative. The program is presented as a concrete ESG effort to restore degraded land and...
Liberia: Liberia Losing Millions in Mining Revenue As $2.7b Trade Gap Raises Smuggling Fears - Report
A new assessment commissioned by Forest Trends finds a $2.7 billion discrepancy between Liberia's reported mining exports and global import data, indicating massive revenue leakage. Mining firms reported $844 million in payments, while import records show $7.8 billion in Liberian minerals, suggesting smuggling,...
Angola: Authorities Arrest 15 Citizens for Alleged Illegal Gold Mining
Angolan police arrested 15 citizens in Ndalatando for suspected illegal gold mining, seizing 38 g of gold, a weighing scale, food supplies, and a Toyota Land Cruiser valued at roughly $500. The operation targeted the Golungo Alto municipality in Cuanza‑Norte, a...
Liberia: Workers Resign Amid Alleged HR Abuses At Bea Mountain Mining
Multiple employees at Bea Mountain Mining Corporation resigned, accusing the firm’s human‑resource officer of unprofessional conduct and a hostile workplace. The complaints also allege mishandling of documentation for foreign staff, raising concerns about compliance with Liberia’s labor and immigration rules....
Mali: Mali Delivers 33 Million Dollars of Mining Revenue to Local Communities
Mali's government transferred $33 million of mining revenue to communities through the Local Mining Development Fund on March 12. The distribution follows the August 2023 Mining Code, which imposes a mandatory 10 % state stake and higher royalties while still permitting 60‑85 % foreign ownership....
Tanzania: Tanzania Seals Strategic Minerals Deal
Tanzania has signed a suite of agreements with US‑owned Panda Hill Tanzania Limited to develop a niobium mine, beneficiation plant and ferroniobium smelter in Mbeya. The project aims to produce about 100,000 tonnes of niobium annually, representing roughly 4% of...
Liberia: Liberian Diamond Sector Under Global Scrutiny
Liberia is hosting its first Kimberley Process compliance review since 2013, marking a pivotal test of reforms aimed at eliminating conflict diamonds. The government has introduced digital licensing, tighter export controls, and awareness campaigns, yet artisanal mining and cross‑border smuggling...
Malawi: Parliament Proposes Higher Mining Fees and Dollar Payments for Foreign Investors to Boost Malawi's Revenue and Forex
Malawi's Parliament has tabled a proposal to raise mining fees and require foreign investors to pay in US dollars, aiming to increase state revenue and alleviate chronic foreign‑exchange shortages. The minimum fee for local firms would jump from K10,000 (≈$10)...
Nigeria: Victor Nwokeji - Reward for Forging Nigeria's Path in Mining Through Zotmann
Victor Nwokeji was named Businessman of the Year at the Champion Newspaper Awards, highlighting his role in building Zotmann Mining Limited into a leading Nigerian solid‑minerals player. Since its 2014 inception, Zotmann grew from a technical service partner to an...
Nigeria: Rutten - Predictability, Efficient Process Key to Unlocking Minerals Economy
The newly renamed Critical Minerals Financing Corporation (CMFC) Plc, led by veteran Lamon Rutten, announced its strategy to fund the entire minerals value chain in Nigeria, from exploration to downstream trading. Rutten says the company will use secured, asset‑backed financing...
Africa: Alake Advocates Regional Hubs to Power Africa's Mining Industry
Nigerian Minister of Solid Minerals Dele Alake called for creation of regional energy hubs to boost Africa’s mining industrialisation at the Powering Africa Summit in Washington. He highlighted that over $2.6 bn of foreign direct investment has flowed into Nigeria’s mining...
Africa: 'At Africa's First Our Ocean Conference, a Test of Global Will On High Seas Protection and Deep-Sea Mining'
The 11th Our Ocean Conference convenes in Mombasa and Kilifi, Kenya from June 16‑18, 2026, marking the first time the summit is hosted on African soil. Delegates will grapple with the newly effective High‑Seas Treaty (BBNJ Agreement) and its implications...
Liberia: Bong County - Lawmakers Suspend Hurine Mining Operations for License Violations
Lawmakers in Liberia’s House Committee on Land, Mines, and Energy ordered an immediate suspension of Hurine Mining Company’s operations in Bong County after confirming the firm exceeded the limits of its Class B mining license. The action follows a complaint by...
Zimbabwe: Rio Zim Challenges Cancellation of 40-Year Mining Grant
Mining giant Rio Zim has filed a High Court suit challenging the Ministry of Mines’ August 2025 cancellation of Special Grant No. 849 for the Sengwa coal fields. Rio Zim, which has spent over $5 million on exploration and feasibility studies, argues...
Liberia: Bea Mountain Mining Corporation Responds to Epa Statement On Marvoe Creek Incident
Bea Mountain Mining Corporation (BMMC) responded to a recent EPA statement linking a fish‑mortality incident at Marvoe Creek to its operations. BMMC highlighted that it had originally detected and reported the incident on 24 February and that EPA’s earlier analysis found...
Zimbabwe: Court Halts Mining On Ariston Estate, Declares Claims Illegal in Landmark Environmental Ruling
Zimbabwe's High Court has nullified two mining certificates on Ariston Holdings' Kent Estate, declaring them illegal. Justice Philda Muzofa ruled the certificates were issued before the syndicate obtained a mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment Certificate, making them void. The court ordered...
Southern Africa: SADC and Unodc Convene Regional Workshop to Tackle Mineral Crimes
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) convened a regional workshop in Gaborone to address rising mineral crimes targeting the bloc's critical mineral deposits. Law‑enforcement, regulatory agencies, and international partners, including...
Uganda: Copper Is the New Oil, but Will Uganda Be Norway or Nigeria?
Global demand for copper and other transition metals is set to triple by 2030, prompting a scramble for new sources. Uganda’s dormant Kilembe copper mine and newly identified mineral belts could supply millions of tonnes of copper and rare‑earth elements....
Ghana: Chairman Wontumi Ordered to Open Defence in Illegal Mining Trial
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of Ghana’s New Patriotic Party, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, was ordered by the Accra High Court to open his defence in a criminal trial over alleged illegal mining on his Samreboi concession. The court dismissed his no‑case‑to‑answer motion,...
Malawi: Kenani's Question Sparks Fierce Debate Over Malawi's Mineral Future
Social media activist Onjezani Kenani has sparked a national debate in Malawi by questioning who truly benefits from the Kasiya Rutile‑Graphite Project, one of the country’s largest mineral discoveries. The project’s development hinges on $665 million in foreign capital, with Australian‑listed...
Tanzania: Mining Reforms Yield 5.8tri/-
Tanzania's mining reforms are bearing fruit as expanded local refineries have added roughly 5.8 trillion shillings in mineral value. The policy that mandates domestic processing generated 273 jobs, most of them for young people, and spurred 3.8 trillion shillings of procurement from...
Ghana: Parliament Passes Bills On University Charters, Mining Levy Reduction
Ghana’s Parliament approved two bills on Friday: the Education Regulatory Bodies (Amendment) Bill 2025, which makes the six‑year charter requirement optional for private tertiary institutions, and the Growth and Sustainability (Amendment) Bill 2026, which cuts the mining levy from three...
Liberia: Koijee Accuses Minister Nyumalin of Illegal Mining Role in Liberia-Guinea Border Tension
Opposition leader Jefferson Tamba Koijee accused Liberia's Minister of Local Government Francis Sakila Nyumalin of owning dredging equipment used in illegal mining along the Makona River, linking it to heightened border tensions with Guinea. Koijee claims the minister’s actions sparked...
Ghana: Absa Bank Provides Specialised Asset Financing to Support Indigenous Mining Contractor
Absa Bank Ghana has extended specialised asset financing to Engineers & Planners Company Limited for the purchase of an additional aircraft, enhancing the contractor's logistics across multiple African mining sites. The financing, initiated in 2024, follows a US$205 million syndicated facility...
Uganda: Stakeholders Raise Concerns Over Mining Licensing Delays, Mineral Royalty Gaps
Uganda’s mining sector is grappling with prolonged licensing delays and opaque royalty collection, prompting stakeholders at the Annual Tax Dialogue to warn of rising informal mining. Despite gold exports exceeding $5 billion annually, licensed operations remain scarce, contributing only 1.9% of...
Ghana: Rebalancing of Gold Reserve Not Loss of National Asset - Governor
Ghana’s central bank announced a rebalancing of its international reserves, converting a portion of its gold holdings into foreign exchange. The move follows a Domestic Gold Purchase Programme that lifted gold stocks from 8.7 tonnes to over 40 tonnes, with a 62%...
Ethiopia: PM Abiy Calls for Mapping Ethiopia's Natural Wealth After Nasiol Cave Visit
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed toured the Nasiol Cave in eastern Ethiopia and called for an urgent, scientific mapping of the nation’s natural and mineral wealth. He highlighted the cave’s striking marble‑like stalactites and the surrounding deposits of marble, granite, and...
South Africa: Government Reviews Appeals for Offshore Oil, Gas Exploration Projects
South Africa’s Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Willie Aucamp, announced that the government will move forward with determining appeals against offshore oil and gas exploration authorisations, ending a period of deferral. The appeals were filed under section 43 of...
Botswana: Illegal Sand Mining On the Rise in Ntlhantlhe
Kgosi Malepa Orekeng warned Ntlhantlhe residents that illegal sand miners, many armed, are increasingly operating trucks across the Molopye River. The village’s long‑standing rule limiting sand collection to manual, resident‑only methods has been ignored, prompting a surge in unregulated extraction....
South Africa: Action Demanded Over Nyanga Taxi Attacks - South African News Briefs - March 10, 2026
The Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA) demanded surveillance cameras at Nyanga taxi rank after two minibuses were torched and multiple shootings occurred. Western Cape Mobility MEC Isaac Sileku supported the call and suggested drone monitoring to boost safety. President Cyril...
South Africa: Government Intensifies Crackdown On Illegal Mining
South Africa’s Deputy President Paul Mashatile announced an intensified, intelligence‑driven crackdown on illegal mining in Gauteng, including Operation Vala Umgodi and deployment of the National Defence Force alongside police and regulatory agencies. The government secured funding for a 12‑dimensional National Illicit...
Botswana: Mining Conference to Tackle Industrial Challenges
The Botswana Mining and Energy Conference and Expo (BME) will convene March 16‑17 in Gaborone, drawing roughly 1,200 senior executives from more than 30 countries. Organisers aim to align the event with the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme and the twelfth...
Africa: All of Africa Today - March 5, 2026
Across Africa, a deadly landslide at the Democratic Republic of Congo's Rubaya coltan mine killed over 200 people, raising concerns for the global tantalum supply chain. Sudan announced it is cholera‑free but faces rising dengue, malaria and measles cases, while...
Congo-Kinshasa: Over 200 Feared Dead in DR Congo Coltan Mine Landslide
A massive landslide at the Rubaya coltan mine in North Kivu, eastern DRC, has left more than 200 people dead, including around 70 children, according to the Ministry of Mines. Rebel leader Fanny Kaj of the M23 group disputed the...
Tanzania: Barrick, UDSM Build New Generation of Mining Professionals
Barrick Mining Corporation has launched a specialised capacity‑building programme at the University of Dar es Salaam to turn final‑year geology students into industry‑ready professionals. The curriculum blends academic theory with hands‑on field work, covering geothermal studies, petrology and advanced underground...
Ethiopia: Council of Ministers Refers External Loan Agreements to Parliament, Authorizes Mining License Deals
Ethiopia’s Council of Ministers has sent three external financing agreements to the House of Peoples’ Representatives for approval. The loans—USD 60.2 million from Korea Export‑Import Bank, €80 million from the French Development Agency, and SDR 184.1 million from the International Development Association—target electricity expansion, renewable...
Congo-Kinshasa: Mineral Rivalry, Geopolitics and the Imperative of Peace in Eastern DR Congo
Eastern DR Congo’s eastern provinces sit atop lithium, gold, coltan and other critical minerals that power the global energy transition and digital economy. Rising demand has drawn a slate of international actors, from the United States to China, intensifying geopolitical...
Ghana: Ghana Falls 7 Places in Global Mining Investment Attractiveness Report
Ghana slipped seven places in the Fraser Institute’s Global Mining Investment Attractiveness Index, moving from 46th out of 82 jurisdictions in 2024 to 53rd out of 68 in 2025. Its overall score dipped slightly from 56.98% to 55.21%, while its...
Mozambique: Ustda Partners in Mozambique to Diversify Rare Earths Supply Chains
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has signed an agreement to fund a pre‑feasibility study for Monte Muambe Mining Ltda’s rare‑earth project in Mozambique. The study will de‑risk mine and processing facility development, aiming to produce mixed rare‑earth carbonates for...
Uganda: Floods Sweep Away Millions in Mineral Wealth As Kilembe Tailings Collapse Into River Nyamwamba
Heavy rains in Kasese District have caused the Kilembe tailings dam (Dam C) to collapse repeatedly, spilling copper, cobalt, zinc and other minerals into the Nyamwamba River. Officials estimate that more than two million tonnes of valuable material have already been...
Mozambique: Fined for Illegal Mining
Mozambique's National Environmental Quality Control Agency (AQUA) fined gold miner Ecogems 21 million meticais (≈$328,600) for operating without an environmental license in Nampula's Lalaua district. The penalty follows complaints that the firm bypassed mandatory community consultation and displaced households without proper...
Nigeria: Federal Govt, AFC Seal $1.3bn Alumina Refinery Deal to Drive Mining Sector Transformation
Nigeria’s federal government and the Africa Finance Corporation have signed a $1.3 billion memorandum of understanding to build an alumina refinery, launch a nationwide geoscience mapping programme, and create a joint investment vehicle for mineral exploration. The Bayer‑process plant will process...
Nigeria: 'Digitisation of Mining License Attracting Investors Into Sector'
Nigeria’s Mining Cadastre Office has completed the digitisation and validation of its mining licence registry, making the country the 11th African nation to achieve this milestone. The move, announced by Director‑General Obadiah Simon Nkom at an African Minerals Development Centre...
Namibia: Decision On Omaheke Uranium Mining Will Be Based On Science - Government
Namibia's Ministry of Environment announced that the decision on the proposed uranium mining project in Omaheke will be guided by scientific evidence rather than political pressure. Russian‑linked Headsprings Investments, a Rosatom subsidiary, has applied for an exclusive prospecting licence to...
Namibia: Chamber of Mines Says Sector Employs 26.7 Percent of Namibian Workforce
The Chamber of Mines rebutted ILO remarks by highlighting that its members generated 20,843 direct jobs and an estimated 145,901 indirect jobs in 2024, accounting for 26.7% of Namibia’s employed population. It contested claims that the sector lacks local beneficiation...
Ghana: Tighten Mining Act to Halt Mercury Smuggling
Ghanaian officials and civil‑society groups are urging a revision of the Minerals and Mining Act to curb the rampant smuggling and use of mercury in artisanal and small‑scale gold mining (ASGM). The current legislation lacks a national mercury storage and...
Liberia: Mme Hosts One-Day Pilot Stakeholders' Dialogue On Mineral Rights
The Ministry of Mines and Energy convened a one‑day pilot stakeholders’ dialogue in Arthington on Feb 20 to address gaps between mineral rights, land rights and community obligations. Participants including chiefs, civil‑society groups, GIZ and LEITI examined regulatory, fiscal and environmental...
