Malawi has clinched a staggering $12 billion in mining and infrastructure deals with Chinese investors, positioning the country as a rising global powerhouse in the supply of critical minerals essential for the energy transition.
The agreements, signed under the leadership of Mining Minister Ken Ng’oma, include a $7 billion deal with China’s Hunan Sunwalk to develop titanium extraction and processing facilities in Salima – the largest foreign investment in Malawi’s mining history.
The project also includes commitments to skills development, technology transfer and community investment.
In a separate deal, Malawi secured $5 billion through China’s Xidian International Stock Exchange to establish a Special Economic Zone in Chipoka, with $1 billion worth of projects – spanning mining, infrastructure and agri-industrial development – set to be rolled out in the first year.
The investment surge comes amid growing global demand for minerals such as rare earths, uranium, titanium and graphite, with Malawi’s deposits drawing attention from both Chinese and international financiers.
The Kangankunde Rare Earths Project, operated by Australia’s Lindian Resources, has attracted over $120 million in proposed funding from Ecobank, the European Investment Bank and Gerald Group.
Once operational in 2026, the project is expected to rank among the world’s largest rare earths facilities.
In the uranium sector, Lotus Resources secured $38.5 million from South African banks to advance the Kayelekera Uranium Project, targeting first production in the third quarter of 2025.
Meanwhile, Sovereign Metals raised $40 million to develop the Kasiya Rutile-Graphite Project, home to the world’s largest known rutile deposit and second-largest graphite reserve.
The site is projected to produce 245,000 tonnes of rutile and 288,000 tonnes of graphite annually over 25 years.
With mineral exports projected to reach $30 billion between 2026 and 2040, Malawi is rapidly emerging as a strategic supplier in the global critical minerals value chain.
Ng’oma will spotlight these developments at African Mining Week (AMW) 2025 where he is set to speak at the Ministerial Forum and the China-Africa Cooperation on Critical Minerals Roundtable.
The event, themed “From Extraction to Beneficiation: Unlocking Africa’s Mineral Wealth”, will gather stakeholders from across the continent to explore investment opportunities and policy frameworks for sustainable mining.
AMW 2025 will be held alongside African Energy Week from 1-3 October in Cape Town, offering a timely platform for Malawi to deepen partnerships and accelerate its mining renaissance.
JN/APA