• Africa’s graphite production dropped to 120,000 tons in 2024, says IEA

• Civil unrest at Balama and issues at Lindi mine triggered the decline

• New projects in Malawi, Tanzania, and Madagascar may reverse the trend

Africa accounts for 10% of global natural graphite supply. Despite China dominating nearly 80% of the graphite market, Africa could potentially expand its market share in the years to come, bolstered by projects in progress.

The IEA, in its report Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2025, attributed the performance downturn primarily to operational issues at Balama, the continent's largest graphite mine.

“Mozambique’s Balama mine declared force majeure due to civil unrest, and Tanzania’s Lindi mine faced issues after its owner went into administration, compounded by logistical problems at the Dar es Salaam port,” the report elaborated.

Australian company Syrah Resources, which operates the Balama mine, produced no graphite from the site since July 2024. This production halt was a key factor in the drop to 120,000 tons reported by the IEA, a 30% decline from the previous year. Syrah plans to restart production by the end of June 2025 but has not issued any updated forecasts.

Meanwhile, Tirupati is optimizing its Madagascar operations, aiming to raise annual production capacity from 20,000 tons to 54,000 tons by December 2025.

Several graphite projects are underway across the continent, suggesting that Africa could still play a larger role in the global market. Sovereign Metals is developing the Kasiya project in Malawi, which could yield 233,000 tons of graphite over a 25-year mine life. In Tanzania, Black Rock Mining is advancing the Mahenge project, targeting 340,000 tons of annual graphite concentrate by 2026.

These developments could reverse the production slump and accelerate Africa’s market share expansion. The IEA’s earlier World Energy Outlook 2024 projected Africa’s graphite output share could double to 20% by 2030.

However, that outlook is complicated by current market headwinds. With oversupply and declining demand, particularly in the electric vehicle sector, graphite prices have been under pressure since 2023. This has dampened investor momentum in the short term.

In Madagascar, NextSource has struggled to bring its Molo mine to commercial production, citing difficult market conditions. Likewise, Syrah Resources cited the weak market as a factor in its 2024 decision to suspend operations at Balama.