• Ganfeng Lithium backs exploration projects in Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea through a joint venture.
• Lithium Africa Corp holds 1,254 km² in Côte d’Ivoire and 376 km² in Guinea.
• The move follows Ganfeng’s lithium production launch at Goulamina in Mali.

After securing a majority stake in the Goulamina lithium mine in Mali, Chinese group Ganfeng Lithium is expanding its presence in West Africa.

Through a partnership with Lithium Africa Resources — which recently merged with Canada’s Lombard Street Capital — the Chinese producer is now exposed to lithium exploration projects in Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea.

Lombard Street Capital, a Canadian listed investment vehicle, announced on February 11 that it had finalized its merger with Lithium Africa Resources, a company focused on lithium exploration for electric vehicle batteries. The newly formed entity, Lithium Africa Corp, is now listed on the TSX Venture Exchange in Toronto.

The transaction also highlights the company’s long-standing partnership with Ganfeng in Africa.

Expanding regional reach

In its statement, Lithium Africa Corp confirmed the existence of a joint venture with GFL International, an affiliate of Ganfeng. The collaboration stems from a 2023 agreement — signed before Goulamina entered production — to establish a 50-50 joint venture aimed at acquiring, exploring and developing lithium projects in Africa.

Ganfeng began lithium production in Mali in 2024 and started exports in 2025. In parallel, the joint venture secured several exploration permits in other West African jurisdictions.

In Côte d’Ivoire, Lithium Africa holds four permits covering 1,254 square kilometers in the Adzopé region. Exploration has identified pegmatite mineralization, a rock type that commonly hosts lithium deposits. An initial trench returned an eight-meter intersection grading 1.26% lithium. Additional drilling is planned for the first half of 2026.

In Guinea, the company controls 376 square kilometers. Historical mapping identified lithium, tantalum and niobium anomalies, although no significant results have yet been published.

In Mali, the joint venture holds permits near the Goulamina mine. Sampling and drilling campaigns have identified spodumene mineralization at several targets, including Tienfagala and Madina. Ongoing work aims to define these zones as potential satellite extensions of the main deposit.

Lithium Africa Corp also has projects in Zimbabwe and Morocco.

A long-term bet

The merger is expected to support further exploration. The company said gross proceeds of about 2.68 million Canadian dollars (around $1.97 million) raised through the transaction will partly fund exploration and development at the Adzopé project in Côte d’Ivoire.

Like Goulamina, any lithium discoveries could supply Ganfeng, which is vertically integrated across the lithium value chain. The company mines, refines and processes lithium and manufactures electric vehicle batteries.

However, turning exploration assets into producing mines will require time, significant capital and a supportive business environment in the host countries. While Ganfeng already has a strong foothold in Mali, it and its partner will need to demonstrate progress in Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire. No exploration budgets or timelines for initial resource estimates have been disclosed.

In the meantime, Ganfeng’s early positioning in Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea — alongside Hainan Mining, a shareholder in Mali’s Bougouni lithium mine — strengthens China’s footprint in Africa’s critical minerals sector. As major powers compete for resources on the continent, Beijing is building an early lead in West Africa.

Emiliano Tossou