Chilean company Sociedad Quimica y Minera (SQM), the world’s second-largest lithium producer, is entering Africa with its first project in Namibia. Despite the recent drop in lithium prices, SQM expects them to rebound driven by growing demand for the mineral which plays a critical role in the global energy transition. SQM has received approval from the Namibian Competition Commission (NaCC)...

Glencore has long been involved in the Zanaga iron ore project in the Republic of Congo, which holds billions of tonnes of reserves. In 2022, Glencore converted its interests in the project into shares of Zanaga Iron Ore Company (ZIOC). ZIOC has now released a project update. Zanaga Iron Ore Company (ZIOC) announced on Monday that it ended its agreement with Glencore regarding the Zanaga iron...

Castle Minerals has focused on its Kambale graphite project in Ghana for years. Amidst rising gold prices and a slowing graphite market, the company has been shifting its attention to gold projects in Ghana. On March 3, 2025, Castle Minerals said it seeks A$3 million (US$1.86 million) to keep exploring for gold at its Kpali project in Ghana. The announcement marks a shift towards gold, as the...

Active since 2012, Lucara Diamond's Karowe Mine in Botswana will shift from open-pit to underground mining by 2028. This change coincides with adjustments in the company’s leadership. Melissa Harmon has joined Lucara Diamond’s Board of Directors. The firm announced her appointment on March 3, noting that Harmon, an engineer, will help bolster the $683 million underground expansion...

BII and Ghana International Bank (GHIB) have announced a partnership to finance cross-border trade in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Gambia, Benin, the DRC, Rwanda, and Tanzania. The deal aims to improve access to credit and reduce Africa’s trade finance gap. British International Investment (BII) has teamed up with Ghana International Bank (GHIB), a London-based Ghanaian bank, to launch a $50...

Egypt, the leading importer and producer of wheat, heavily relies on imports, estimated at 55 to 60%, to meet its wheat consumption. To strengthen its food security, the country plans to build six wheat silos to increase its storage capacity. Egypt has secured a concessional financing deal worth 90 million euros ($94 million) from the European Investment Bank to boost food security in the...

Traditional telecom models are becoming outdated, prompting a shift to cloud-based platforms that reduce operational costs while enhancing scalability and efficiency. This move future-proofs MTN’s operations, ensuring long-term growth and sustainability. MTN South Africa has partnered with LotusFlare, a cloud-native digital commerce and monetization platform provider, to drive innovation and...

Nigeria’s retail mobile network Liv.ing launched its Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) on February 25. It aims to transform how Nigerians connect and live. Besides talk time, the platform provides access to Ductour, a Healthcare-as-a-Service platform for quality healthcare and nutrition, and Roducate, a digital education hub supporting students, parents, teachers, professionals, and...

The Middle East has surpassed Africa as the top recipient of Chinese commitments under the Belt and Road Initiative, launched by China in 2013. However, Guinea, Liberia, the Republic of Congo, and Morocco still rank among the top five countries where Chinese investments saw the highest growth rates over the past year. China has committed a total of $29.2 billion to projects across Africa in...

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping industries across the globe, but in Africa, it is also being used for increasingly sophisticated fraud. Criminals are harnessing AI tools to create fake documents, synthetic voices, and hyper-realistic images, driving a new wave of scams and financial crimes. This rise in AI-powered fraud is creating major security and identity verification...