MALAWI EMERGES AS GLOBAL CRITICAL MINERALS HUB WITH $12 BILLION CHINA DEALS

Malawi's $12 billion mining infrastructure deals with Chinese investors, marks the country’s largest-ever foreign investment push.

Malawi Mining deal Energy transition Critical minerals Transformation.

Malawi Secures $12 billion mining Chinese Deal

In a game-changing move that places Malawi at the center of the global energy transition, the country has secured a record-breaking $12 billion in Chinese-backed deals to unlock its vast mineral wealth and transform its infrastructure landscape.

Under the leadership of Mining Minister Ken Ng’oma, Malawi is positioning itself as a strategic powerhouse for critical minerals such as titanium, rare earth, uranium, rutile, and graphite, all vital to clean energy technologies and electric vehicles.

A landmark $7 billion agreement with China’s Hunan Sunwalk will see the development of state-of-the-art titanium extraction and processing facilities in Salima the largest mining investment in Malawi’s history. Beyond resource development, the deal includes commitments to technology transfer, skills training, and local community upliftment.

In a parallel breakthrough, $5 billion was secured through the Xidian International Stock Exchange for the creation of a Special Economic Zone in Chipoka, with $1 billion in infrastructure, mining, and agri-industrial projects set to launch within the first year.

These deals mark the start of a new era for Malawi, whose rich but underexploited mineral reserves are now drawing unprecedented global attention. With the global shift toward clean technologies driving demand for rare minerals, Malawi is emerging as a reliable, long-term supplier.

Already, international players are moving in. Australia’s Lindian Resources is advancing the Kangankunde Rare Earths Project, backed by $120 million in proposed funding from Ecobank, the European Investment Bank, and Gerald Group. Slated to begin operations in 2026, the site is projected to become one of the world’s top rare earth facilities.

Uranium and graphite development are also surging ahead. Lotus Resources secured $38.5 million in financing for the Kayelekera Uranium Project, set to begin production by Q3 2025. Meanwhile, Sovereign Metals raised $40 million for its Kasiya Rutile-Graphite Project home to the world’s largest known rutile deposit and the second-largest graphite reserve, with a projected annual output of over 500,000 tonnes combined.

With mineral export revenues projected to hit $30 billion between 2026 and 2040, Malawi’s mining renaissance is not just reshaping its economy, but redefining its global relevance.

Minister Ng’oma is expected to unveil these transformative developments at African Mining Week 2025 in Cape Town, where he will speak at both the Ministerial Forum and the China-Africa Critical Minerals Roundtable. The event, running from October 1–3 under the theme “From Extraction to Beneficiation: Unlocking Africa’s Mineral Wealth”, will convene key stakeholders to chart the future of sustainable mining across the continent.

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MALAWI EMERGES AS GLOBAL CRITICAL MINERALS HUB WITH $12 BILLION CHINA DEALS

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