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Mining

The country has a wide variety of mineral resources. Presently mining activities include coal mining, quarrying, limestone production, and gemstone mining to just a few. Malawi exports some of its mineral resources. For instance Gemstones exports are dominated by aquamarine, amethyst, red and rhodolite garnets, and Zomba Malosa Mountains quartz-aegerine –feldspar collectors’ specimen. These and other small mining activities contribute about 1% of the country’s GDP. As a priority sector government encourages investment in the sector. It expects mining to contribute about 5 percent of GDP in the next year. Potential exploration targets include gold, uranium, platinum group of minerals (PGMs), base metals nickel and copper, dimension stone, phosphates, heavy mineral sands, graphite, and coal.


Mining opportunities (MINERAL DEPOSITS, RESERVES AND GRADE)

DEPOSIT

LOCATION

DELIANATED RESERVES

(Million tonnes/grade)

Bauxite

Mulanje

28.8/43.9 %AL2O3

Uranium

Kayelekera Karonga/Chitipa

2.4/0.15% Ur308

Monazite/Strontianite

Kangankhunde-Balaka

11.0/8%Sr, and 2% REO

Corundum

Chimwadzulu-Ntcheu

8.0/75.6gm per m3

Graphite

Katengeza-Dowa

2.7/5.8%C

Limestone

Malowa Hill-Bwanje
Chenkumbi-Balaka

15/48%CaO, 1.2% MgO
10/46.1% CaO, 3.5% MgO

Titanium Heavy Mineral Sands

Nkhotakota - Salima - Chipoka
Mangochi
Halala (Lake Chilwa)

700/5.6% HMS

680/6.0% HMS
15/6.0% HMS

Vermiculite

Feremu - Mwanza

2.5/4.9% (Med+Fine)

Coal

Mwabvi-Nsanje
Ngana -Karonga

4.7/30% ash
15/21.2% ash

Phosphate

Tundulu -Phalombe

2.017/%P2O5

Pyrite

Chisepo-Dowa
Malingunde-Lilongwe

34/8%S
10/12%S

Glass Sands

Mchinji Dambos

1.6/97%SiO2

Dimension Stone

Chitipa, Mzimba, Mangochi, Mchinji

Black, blue,pink, green granite

Gemstones

Mzimba, Nsanje, Chitipa, Chikwawa, Rumphi, Ntcheu

Numerous pegmatites and volcanics

Source:   Geological Surveys Department Bulletins and Reports
                 Private Companies Mineral Exploration Reports