Africa Mining News of Week 52, 2025

Dear Africa Mining Community,

Welcome to this week’s roundup of the most important developments shaping Africa’s mining and exploration landscape. Over the past days, the sector has continued to move at pace, with major project expansions, critical minerals policy shifts, record-breaking commodity prices, and strategic milestones that underline Africa’s growing importance in global supply chains.

In this edition, we highlight gold project expansions in Mali, Ethiopia, and Tanzania, progress and delays across lithium and niobium developments, pivotal regulatory moves in the D.R. Congo’s cobalt sector, rising momentum in copper exploration and markets, and Guinea’s ambition to position itself as a global mining investment hub through its first international mining summit.

As always, our goal is to keep you informed, inspired, and connected to the evolving story of Africa’s mining sector.

Enjoy this week’s insights,

Team AFMICO

Africa Mining News of Week 52, 2025

Allied Gold launches Sadiola expansion to lift production and cut costs

Allied Gold has started Phase 1 of the Sadiola mine expansion in Mali, beginning ore processing through a new circuit that is expected to increase production and lower costs, with annual gold output targeted at 200,000 to 230,000 ounces, up 17% to nearly 30% from 2023 levels, as the upgrade allows more high grade fresh ore to be processed and lifts throughput to about 5.7 million tonnes a year, while further plant upgrades and a pre leach thickener planned for 2026 support efficiency gains and set the stage for a Phase 2 expansion from late next year to 2029, with near term output expected to rise sharply in late 2025 and company wide production, including strong results from Cote d’Ivoire, forecast to exceed 375,000 ounces for the full year.

Atlantic Lithium expects revised Ewoyaa mining lease to gain approval

Atlantic Lithium says it remains confident that its revised mining lease for the Ewoyaa lithium project in Ghana will be ratified after being resubmitted to parliament, following changes to fiscal terms that align the project with current Ghanaian mining laws, with Ewoyaa expected to become the country’s first lithium mine, revised royalties now matching legal requirements including a proposed sliding scale linked to spodumene prices, all other lease terms unchanged from 2023, and while the parliamentary process has paused over the festive period, the company expects review to resume in the new year, though it cautions there is no certainty on the final legislation or the outcome of the parliamentary vote.

Kanyika niobium project delayed again as production shifts to 2028

Globe Metals and Mining has delayed the start of production at its Kanyika niobium project in Malawi to 2028 as the company continues to seek financing and complete key development steps, more than a year after the first delay announced in 2024, with construction yet to begin despite extensions granted by the Malawian government, an updated feasibility study now targeted for March 2026, and a final investment decision still pending, while the project is expected to produce about 73,250 tonnes of niobium pentoxide and 3,240 tonnes of tantalum pentoxide over a 23 year mine life, require around $250 million in investment, generate an estimated $5.6 billion in revenue, and potentially become Africa’s first large scale niobium mine, offering Malawi a new source of mining revenue and an alternative to Brazil dominated global supply amid rising demand for niobium in steelmaking, electronics, defense and electric vehicles.

Lake Victoria Gold moves closer to Imwelo production with capex update due

Lake Victoria Gold expects to release an updated capital expenditure estimate for its $15 million Imwelo gold project in Tanzania in early 2026 as it moves closer to production, after acquiring the fully permitted and shovel ready project in February, which hosts about 300,000 ounces of gold with expected average grades of 3.7 grams per tonne in the first two years, offers strong exploration upside at depth due to shallow historical drilling, and could begin production by early 2027, with the company saying that at current gold prices the project has the potential to generate annual cash flows greater than its current market value of about C$50 million.

D.R. Congo Prepares CMOC’s First Cobalt Shipment Under New Quota Rules

The Democratic Republic of Congo has started sampling for CMOC’s first cobalt shipment under its new export quota system, signaling a gradual restart of exports after months of disruption, with shipments expected soon but possibly delayed until early 2025, as the country, which produces more than 70 percent of the world’s mined cobalt, moves to control supply that was tightened by a long export ban that raised prices and affected electric vehicle battery markets, while the new system introduced on October 16 allows limited quarterly exports, caps annual shipments from 2026, assigns the largest quotas to CMOC and Glencore, requires a 10 percent royalty and new compliance steps, and continues to face challenges as talks between industry and government make limited progress and companies adjust to the stricter rules that could still delay global supply chains.

Copper hits record high above $12,000 as tariffs and supply disruptions tighten market

Copper prices have climbed above $12,000 a tonne for the first time, rising nearly 40% this year as mine disruptions, supply constraints and tariff concerns push the market toward its strongest annual gain since 2009, with fears that Trump-era tariffs could tighten US supply driving heavy imports and global competition for metal even as demand in China weakens, while outages across the Americas, Africa and Asia, growing investment in electrification, renewable energy, power grids and AI data centres, and limited refining capacity outside China continue to strain supply, prompting analysts to warn of growing volatility, long-term deficits from as early as 2026, and mounting pressure on the copper market as demand linked to the energy transition accelerates faster than new mining and processing capacity can be built.

Guinea Sets the Stage for Its First Global Mining Summit in 2026

Guinea, the world’s top bauxite exporter, plans to host its first major international mining conference with the Simandou Mining Summit starting on November 11, 2026, bringing together policymakers, global investors, mining companies, financiers, and technical partners to highlight the country’s bauxite leadership and large iron ore resources, promote sustainable and inclusive mining, boost investor confidence, and raise Guinea’s global profile, with a format inspired by leading events like Mining Indaba and PDAC, as growing international interest in projects such as the Simandou iron ore deposit supports Guinea’s goal to become a leading mining investment hub in Africa.

KEFI Advances Tulu Kapi Gold Project With Full Funding Secured

KEFI, an AIM-listed gold and copper explorer focused on Africa and the Arabian-Nubian Shield, has launched the high-grade Tulu Kapi Gold Project in Ethiopia after securing full funding, including about £8.9 million in equity, a retail offer of up to £1 million, and acceptance of a US$240 million project debt facility, with total development capital potentially reaching US$370 million, equity-risk capital structured up to US$100 million, and the Ethiopian Government holding around a 12 percent free-carried interest, with funds allocated to repay early costs, advance infrastructure, support early works and working capital, and align equity ahead of debt drawdown, keeping the project on schedule for construction and commissioning, with first gold targeted for 2027 and full production from 2028, positioning Tulu Kapi as one of Africa’s highest-grade gold developments with strong long-term value.

D.R. Congo Suspends Artisanal Copper and Cobalt Processing to Tackle Corruption

The Democratic Republic of Congo has suspended artisanal copper and cobalt processing and marketing to fight corruption and illegal mineral exports, aiming to improve transparency and ensure traceable supply chains in the world’s largest cobalt producer, which supplies about 70 percent of global output, under a decree signed on December 19 by Mines Minister Louis Watum Kabamba, requiring all operators to certify mineral origins and creating a new commission to verify traceability, legality, and compliance, as illegal artisanal mining and alleged bribery have diverted state revenues for decades, while the country recently launched its first batch of traceable artisanal cobalt, and the move is expected to help authorities better understand mineral flows, reduce unregulated output that raises costs for ethical cobalt, and align the sector with international environmental, social, and governance standards, even as artisanal mining employs 1.5 to 2 million people and supports over 10 million indirectly.

Allied Gold Expands Sadiola, Strong Production Growth Ahead

Allied Gold has started Phase 1 of the Sadiola mine expansion in Mali, adding a new fresh ore processing circuit to increase gold production, improve efficiency, and lower costs, with annual output targeted at 200,000 to 230,000 ounces, a rise of about 17 percent to nearly 30 percent from 2023 levels, fresh ore processing raised to up to 60 percent of mill feed, throughput expected to reach 5.7 million tonnes per year, stronger cash flow expected from the phased growth plan, the first full quarter of higher fresh ore volumes forecast in early 2026, engineering work moving ahead for a pre-leach thickener planned for 2026, a plant-wide control system upgrade to reduce costs, Phase 2 expansion set to start late next year and continue through 2029, Sadiola expected to produce about 60,000 ounces in the fourth quarter of 2025, strong support from Côte d’Ivoire operations including the Bonikro mine, and company-wide quarterly production expected to exceed 113,000 ounces.

Midnight Sun pushes ahead with major copper exploration in Zambia

Midnight Sun Mining is speeding up copper exploration in Zambia by planning to add a sixth drill rig at its Dumbwa target early next year, a project located in the heart of the Copperbelt close to major tier one mines, including First Quantum Minerals’ Kansanshi mine about 6 km away, Barrick Mining’s Lumwana mine, and Ivanhoe Mines’ Kamoa Kakula complex, with Dumbwa described as geologically identical to Lumwana, and the company stating it has already made a real discovery and is now focused on drilling to prove the size of the find and unlock what it sees as the most exciting phase of growth and the potential for a major new copper deposit.