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The Ministry of Mining has said it is set to hold the first-ever edition of the Malawi Mining Investment Forum (MMIF) from the 23rd to the 24th at the Bingu International Conventional Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe.

The forum will be held under the theme “Transforming the Nation through Sustainable Mineral Extraction".

Speaking to the press on Friday, Minister of Mining Monica Chang’anamuno said the two-day Forum which is expected to attract over 300 participants drawn from around the globe, is part of the ATM promotional week, which President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera announced a few weeks ago.

Chang’anamuno said Malawi is endowed with various mineral resources, including rare earth elements (REEs), graphite, uranium, gold, and gemstones, among others and that the forum will be a good platform to provide information that investors need so that they know what we have in Malawi.

“This is going to benefit the country a lot because it will unearth the potential that is there in the country so that a lot of investors can come and invest in our country.

“At the same time not just to invest in exploration and mining but there are also other projects that are already existing and there are investors that would want to be part of these projects,” she said. 

The Minister further said the government intends to grow the mining sector to contribute to at least 20% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Chang'anamuno called upon development partners, companies, individuals and other stakeholders in the mining sector to participate in the upcoming forum, which is an opportunity for exploring potential partnerships and investments.

“There is going to be a lot of networking that is going to take place during this time therefore it is very important for even other service providers not just those who are doing mining activities but they have other services that they can provide to those that are doing mining. This is their opportunity to come and attend this forum to see where they can provide their services,” the Minister said.

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Azurite Management and Consultancy, a professional and technical advisor for mining, exploration, oil and gas from Tanzania has opened its doors in Malawi.

This follows a series of engagements which included the recent interaction the firm had with the Malawi delegation led by the Minister of Mining Monica Chang’anamuno MP at the Tanzania Mining and Investment Forum in Dar Salaam that was held from 25 to 26 October, 2023.

Speaking when Azurite officials made a courtesy call to the Ministry of Mining, the company’s Director Christer Mhingo said they are here to support investment in the mining sector by nurturing client relations with key government authorities.

“We focus on providing general business support to foreign and local investors in Sub-Saharan, especially in the mineral exploration and mining sector. We help them to register, we do exploration management and we also do country risk assessments among them,” Mhingo said.

Rio Tinto, Lindian Resources Limited, Lindian Resources Limited, Globe Metals and others are some of the potential Azurite Management and Consultancy partners and clients.

The officials from Azurite held meetings with different companies involved in exploration and mining in Malawi including those that have expressed interest.

Minister of Mining Hon Monica Chang'anamuno MP expressed her commitment to support any investment in the mining sector.

She further indicated that the investment fora that she has attended are now bearing fruits.

“More investors have come to Malawi to obtain further information on our mineralization and basic mineral data has been made available for them to make informed decisions,” Chang’anamuno said.

Ministry of Mining Principal Secretary Dr Joseph Mkandawire said mineralization is spread throughout the country and that collaboration services Azurite is offering are most welcome.

Mkandawire noted that more investors are needed in the area of in-depth exploration.

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Minister of Mining Honourable Monica Chang’anamuno (MP) on Wednesday, 29th November 2023 inaugurated High-Resolution Airborne Geophysical Survey project at Chileka International Airport in Blantyre.

The survey targets Salambidwe Ring Complex in Chikwawa district, which among other minerals, is known for Rare Earth Elements (REE) mineralization.

These minerals are critical for green energy and are currently on high demand globally.

Green Exploration Limited and Akatswiri Mineral Resources are implementing the Project with financial assistance from DY6 Metals of Australia.

New Resolution Geophysics (NRG) from South Africa is contracted to fly the helicopter over the Salambidwe Ring Complex for seven days at a line spacing of 30 metres.

Speaking to the press Honourable Chang’anamuno said the initiative will provide detailed magnetic and radiometric data for the area which will be used to map in detail the area and help to understand its mineralization better.

The Minister indicated that Salambidwe is one of the areas in the southern part of Malawi that were not covered during the Countrywide Airborne Geophysical Survey that the Government of Malawi through her Ministry undertook in 2013-14 due to problems with acquiring overflight permits from Mozambique.

She applauded Green Exploration Limited and Akatswiri Mineral Resources for taking such a path to fly the helicopter and encouraged others to emulate these two local companies in assisting the government's effort to develop the mining sector.

Chang’anamuno further said Malawi is becoming a big mining investment destination due to the availability of several mineral occurrences, which need detailed studies for the country to realize its potential mineral wealth.

She further cited the country’s stable political environment and incentives attached to the mining industry by the Government as other factors that make Malawi a more viable and attractive investment destination.

“I would like to encourage more players to participate by investing in the mining industry as the sector has been identified by the Government through the Leadership of President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera alongside Agriculture and Tourism to be among the main contributors to sustainable economic growth if well harnessed.

“Initiatives by private companies such as Green Exploration Limited and Akatswiri Mineral Resources can help to revolutionalise the mining sector in Malawi,” Chang’anamuno said

Also speaking on the day was Director of Green Exploration Limited Troth Saindi who said DY6 Metals has provided $7 million in support of the Salambidwe project and two other projects in Machinga and Ngala Hill in Chikwawa district.

Troth was optimistic about generating interesting results from the Salambidwe, pushing the project further.

On his part Director of Akatswiri Mineral Resources Hilton Banda while agreeing with Troth, indicated that they plan to acquire airborne geophysical data over Salambidwe, quickly process it and come up with targets for further detailed studies on geochemistry, geological mapping and others that can inform drilling.

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Mkango Mines in Phalombe is expected to construct a chemical plant at Songwe Hill that would be processing rare earths stones into a finished product before exporting it.

Speaking in an interview on Friday after the Minister of Mining toured the hill where the mining will be taking place, Mkango Mines Resources President Alexander Lemon said the processed product would help raise the country’s economy by bringing forex.

“This is a huge project and once we start mining, processing and exporting the rare earth stones, Malawi’s economy would change because of the forex that would be generated from the exportation of the finished product.

“This is the main reason we want to have a plant right here at the site and exporting the finished product than the raw material,” said Lemon.

Lemon added that the construction of the chemical plant at the site would also improve the livelihood of communities around Phalombe, as they expect to create over 1,500 jobs at the construction site once the operations start.

Minister of Mining Monica Chang’anamuno said the mining project would help Malawi in so many areas because it has a minimum mining life of 18 years, but can be extended to 50 years and more.

She further said government wanted the mining industry to be a game changer for the country on issues of forex and employment and also to benefit the generation to come.