• Morocco reclaims top spot in Africa’s mining attractiveness rankings, placing 18th globally.

• The country improved sharply in mining policy perception, moving from 80th to 28th place.

• Zambia, Namibia, and Botswana also rank among Africa’s most competitive mining hubs.

Morocco has regained its position as the most attractive mining jurisdiction in Africa, ranking 18th worldwide in 2024, according to the Fraser Institute’s annual global mining survey published on July 29. The North African country moves ahead of Botswana, which had topped the continent’s ranking in 2023.

The Canadian think tank’s ranking is based on a global survey of mining company executives. Their responses form a composite index reflecting both mineral potential and perceptions of mining policy, known as the Policy Perception Index (PPI).

On the PPI scale, Morocco ranked third in Africa, behind Namibia and Botswana. However, the country showed one of the most notable improvements in this category. “Morocco’s Policy Perception Index score increased by 49.42 points over the past year, pushing it from 80th out of 86 jurisdictions in 2023 to 28th out of 82 in 2024,” the report stated.

Morocco also leads Africa on the index measuring how mineral potential encourages exploration investment, ranking 14th globally. It is followed by Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo in this specific metric.

In total, 20 African countries were assessed in the Fraser Institute’s 2024 survey, down from 22 in the previous year. In West Africa, Ghana was the region’s top performer, ahead of Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire.

Despite its broad coverage and influence in mining circles, the Fraser Institute’s survey has faced criticism, particularly over its methodology. Academic publications in Nordic Steel and Mining Review and Mineral Economics have highlighted the survey’s low response rates and lack of clarity in definitions used to assess jurisdictions.

Top 10 most attractive mining jurisdictions in Africa (2024)

1. Morocco (18th globally)
2. Botswana (20th)
3. Zambia (28th)
4. Namibia (30th)
5. Tanzania (37th)
6. Ghana (46th)
7. Senegal (53rd)
8. Côte d’Ivoire (55th)
9. Zimbabwe (57th)
10. DR Congo (58th)