Lilongwe hits the jackpot
Rare-earth mining operations at the Kangankunde deposit are set to reshape Malawi’s economy – and invite trouble.
Jack McBrams in Lilongwe
Just a year after a feasibility study confirmed that a Malawian rare-earth minerals deposit is one of the world’s best and largest, an Australian company has raised $59-million to begin mining. The first output is expected in late 2026.
Lindian Resources offered shares to entities willing to fund startup operations in Kangankunde – about 90km north of Malawi’s commercial capital of Blantyre.
The company received more subscriptions than it needed – for good reason. Kangankunde is “set to become one of the most significant such operations outside China”, according to Lindian’s executive chair, Robert Martin.
Rare earths – a group of 17 metals – are essential for cellphones and clean-energy technologies like electric vehicles and wind turbines. China currently controls more than 90% of the global supply, and often uses export restrictions to reinforce its dominance.
Kangankunde is “a game-changer for Malawi”, former mining minister Grain Malunga told The Continent. “It puts us in the global supply chain for minerals driving climate-change mitigation.”
The find has not gone unnoticed in China. In April, Malawian authorities detained two Chinese nationals, accusing them of unauthorised geological sampling at Kangankunde.
The deposits in Kangankunde were long known to be large and high grade. Last year’s study confirmed the actual quantity – about 261-million tonnes, which puts it among the top five in the world, according to Malunga.
Crucially, the study also found that the site contains little radioactive thorium, which makes extraction simpler and cheaper as it presents lower environmental risks and fewer regulatory hurdles.
The mine has an estimated lifespan of 45 years. It could deliver about 15,300 tonnes of concentrate a year, ramping up to 50,000 tonnes as it expands.
Malunga said Kangankunde could reshape the Malawian economy within a decade. With Western markets seeking alternatives to Chinese supply, Malawi’s chances are good. But so are the odds of getting caught in a geopolitical brawl.