Lithium

Morocco
Royal holding company Al Mada to open its gigafactory in June

The giant Cobco plant will produce 120,000 tonnes per year of cathode components for batteries used in electric vehicles.

Morocco
As Trump looms, South Korea's gigafactories in doubt

With the possible change to the Inflation Reduction Act by the new US administration, South Korean giants LG and Samsung have decided to suspend their investment projects in Morocco's electric battery sector.

Morocco
Managem's labs doing good business

The mining subsidiary of the Al Mada royal holding company aims to become a service provider for mining companies interested in Morocco's subsoil, which is now accessible to international groups.

The New Guard
Zimbabwe, Kenya, Senegal

Every Wednesday, Africa Intelligence spotlights a new generation of movers and shakers in business and politics.

ZimbabweFaith Mutete advocating for women in mining

KenyaMtamu Kililo uses bold materials to build construction industry

SenegalSerigne Mansour Gaye champions British business in Dakar

Ethiopia
Two mining execs detained in Oromia amid joint venture rift

The Kenticha lithium and tantalum mine is at the heart of a dispute involving the regional government and Australia's Africa Mining & Energy.

Cameroon
Sam Jonah's battery metal plans with Tronic Metals

Prominent Ghanaian mining figure Sam Jonah has become the new chair of Geovic Cameroun just as Tronic Metals, a Canadian company he owns a large share of, is finalising its purchase of Geovic's Nkamouna cobalt project.

DRC, Zambia
Mercuria restructures metals trading division with sights set on African copper

After defecting from Trafigura to Swiss trader Mercuria in June, Kostas Bintas was at the London Metal Exchange week.

Zimbabwe
Lithium: Britain's Premier African Minerals finally to start production

Mining veteran and former UraMin boss George Roach's company was forced to postpone production at its Zimbabwe ore processing plant because of technical problems. The firm is backed by China's Canmax, which is to receive the plant's lithium concentrate.

Zimbabwe
Behind the scenes of Algy Cluff's lithium project

The British oil and mining veteran visited Zimbabwe twice before signing a contract to resume lithium extraction at the Sandawana lithium deposit. President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the UK's top diplomat in Harare were instrumental in Cluff's decision to re-invest in the country.

DRC
Conflict escalates between miners AVZ and Manono Lithium in Tanganyika

The Australian miner is at loggerheads with the joint venture between Cominière and the local subsidiary of Chinese giant Zijin.

Morocco
Australian mining giant Fortescue CEO heads to Rabat

Billionaire Andrew Forrest has a trip to Morocco booked this week to get the ball rolling on his group Fortescue's joint venture green energy project with OCP.

DRC
Zijin Mining pays $70m to mysterious Congolese NGO

A subsidiary of Chinese miner Zijin has, via its joint venture with Congolese state-owned Cominière, paid a substantial sum to an NGO whose president also sits on the board of the state-owned company.

Zimbabwe
Nigerian tycoon Benedict Peters launches lithium mining project

With the backing of the Zimbabwean authorities, the Aiteo Group boss has obtained a lithium exploration permit in the sought-after Kamativi area. But he is planning to abandon his Maflox Claim platinum project.