News
BlackRock-backed Rio Tinto abandons $200 billion Glencore deal amid scramble for Africa’s critical minerals
2+ hour ago (553+ words) Rio Tinto, backed by global institutional investors including BlackRock, has abandoned plans for a mega-merger with commodities trader Glencore, ending negotiations that could have created the world's largest mining company and reshaped competition for Africa's vast mineral resources. The Anglo-Australian…...
Africa’s richest country backs rare earths project with $20 million as EU seeks China alternatives
1+ day, 11+ hour ago (258+ words) South Africa's development finance institution has committed $20 million to a domestic rare earths project aimed at helping the European Union reduce its reliance on China for critical minerals. The state-owned Industrial Development Corp. (IDC) is backing Frontier Rare Earths Ltd.'s…...
U.S.-backed consortium secures $9 billion deal for 40% of Glencore’s DR Congo copper and cobalt mines
3+ day, 7+ hour ago (279+ words) The United States is deepening its footprint in Africa's critical minerals sector, as Glencore PLC agreed to sell a 40% stake in its Democratic Republic of Congo copper and cobalt operations to the U.S.-backed Orion Critical Mineral Consortium in a deal…...
Canadian miner Zodiac Gold to spend $6.1 million on Liberia gold mine exploration
5+ day, 3+ hour ago (432+ words) Canadian gold exploration company Zodiac Gold Inc. has launched its 2026 exploration program in Liberia at the Todi Gold Project, committing $6.1 million to drilling and trenching at the Ben Ben target. The project, situated in Bomi and Bong counties in northwestern…...
China to help Algeria reopen its Gara Djebilet mine, North Africa’s largest iron ore deposit
5+ day, 9+ hour ago (490+ words) Algeria has turned to China to reopen Gara Djebilet, the largest iron ore deposit in North Africa, marking a significant step in the country's push to diversify its economy and expand its mining sector. The railway to the Gara Djebilet…...
Zimbabwe to host Africa’s first lithium sulphate plant, changing how it profits from minerals
5+ day, 12+ hour ago (517+ words) Zimbabwe, which relies significantly on its natural resources, is set to inaugurate Africa's first lithium sulphate plant. Recent reports indicate that the lithium plant, spearheaded by the largest lithium producer in Zimbabwe, Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe (PLZ), and financed by Zhejiang…...
Ivanhoe Atlantic CEO resigns as U.S.-backed iron ore project hits roadblocks in Liberia and Guinea
6+ day, 9+ hour ago (513+ words) Bronwyn Barnes, President and CEO of Ivanhoe Atlantic, the Liberian and Guinean iron ore developer majority-owned by U.S.-Canadian billionaire Robert Friedland, has resigned after four years at the helm, Business Insider Africa has learned. Her departure comes as the company…...
Liberia looks to cash in on $4.8 billion in mining and oil deals as foreign investors return
1+ week, 11+ hour ago (451+ words) Liberia is counting on a wave of mining and energy agreements with multinational companies to unlock as much as $4.8 billion in fresh investment, as President Joseph Boakai seeks to accelerate growth in one of West Africa's smallest economies. Speaking during…...
Mozambique enters graphite processing with new Chinese-owned facility
1+ week, 1+ day ago (262+ words) Mozambique's President Daniel Chapo inaugurated a 200,000 metric ton-per-year graphite processing plant at a Chinese-owned mine, as the southeast African nation ramps up production of the battery mineral, Reuters reported. According to the United States Geological Survey, global mined graphite production…...
Mali’s gold crackdown deepens as authorities arrest mine officials
1+ week, 4+ day ago (337+ words) Mali has detained five senior managers linked to the local operator of the Yanfolila gold mine over alleged breaches of the country's mining code, underscoring the government's increasingly hardline approach to the extractive sector. Two sources familiar with the matter…...