GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS DEPARTMENT
INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Malawi has a variety of mineral resources that have potential for being developed into:
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Mineral concentrates mined essentially for export, such as uranium, strontianite and monazite. |
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Processed products for local consumption or export; for example kyanite or ceramic clay required for furnace bricks. |
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Semi-processed products, as feedstock for the existing local industries; such as limestone for production of lime and cement. |
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Minerals that are used almost as mined; e.g. coal. |
Minerals, which have potential for exploitation, are described below:
Locations
13 coalfields with speculated reserves of 800 million tonnes.
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Ngana Coalfield: 15 million tonnes proven and 50 million tonnes probable resources. Grade: 30.2% ash, 2.2% S and 4708 Kcal/kg |
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Livingstonia Coalfield: 1.4 million tonnes proven, 5.0 million tonnes probable resources and 20 million tonnes possible resources. Mchenga Coal Mine is located in this coalfield. Grade: 17% ash, 0.5% S and 6800 Kcal/kg |
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Lufira Coalfield: 0.6 million tonnes proven and 50 million tonnes probable resources. Grade: 30.2% ash, 2.2% S and 4708 Kcal/kg |
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Mwabvi Coalfield: 5 million tonnes proven reserves and 10 million tonnes possible resources. Grade: 40% ash, 0.76% S and 4173 Kcal/kg. |
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Lengwe Coalfield: 10 million tonnes probable resources indicated. Grade: 59.2% ash, 0.51% S and 2746 Kcal/kg. |
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North Rukuru Coalfield: 500,000 tonnes proven reserves at Musisi Forest Reserve near Kayerekera, 5 million tonnes of probable reserves and 165 million tonnes of possible resources. Grade: 32.4% ash, 0.6% S and 4781Kcal/kg |
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Nthalire Coalfield: 15 million tonnes possible resources. Grade: Unknown. |
Uses
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In boilers for raising steam ( David Whitehead). |
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For making Portland Cement (PCC) (Malawi Ltd.). |
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For curing tobacco (large potential use) |
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Thermal electricity generation (potential) |
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Production of pharmaceuticals. |
Projected Size of the Market
Over 300,000 tonnes by the year 2000, from current 54,000 tonnes (excluding use in flue-cured tobacco production).
Potential
Mchenga Coal Mine producing 500 tonnes/week. There is a very favourable economic potential for exploitation.
Location
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Thambani, Mwanza (largest source) and |
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Makoko, Nsanje. |
Resources
Over 100,000 tonnes at Thambani with good prospects for extending reserves to over 500,000 tonnes. Nsanje resources not delineated.
Quality
The Corundum from Thambani graded A1 on alumina content. Over 2000 tonnes were exported from 1942 to 1952.
Uses
Manufacture of refractory (furnace) bricks, abrasives (e.g. sand paper).
Projected size of market
10,000 tonnes/year crushed, mostly for export.
Locations
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Kangankunde, Machinga. |
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Cape maclear, Mangochi for monazite. 11,600 tonnes delineated with average thoria content of 7.6%. |
Resources
Over 11 million tonnes have been proven at Kangankunde Rare Earth Deposit grading at 2% Rare Earth oxides and 8% Strontium.
Quality
Very competitive grades internationally, except for long routes to markets
(South African mines less than 2% monazite for export, Egypt 0.5%).
Uses
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Samarium- cobalt permanent magnets for use in generators of electricity. |
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Lenses for cameras and Television tubes etc. |
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Strontium used in manufacture of sugar and toothpaste etc. |
Projected Market
100,000 tonnes combined concentrate of strontianite/monazite per year for export.
Potential
Very favourable for export; particularly to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.
Location
Around Mpatamanga, Mwanza.
Resources
Some 2.2 million tonnes proved reserves around Feremu area in Mwanza district with expansion ratio of 12 and DBD averaging 125kg/m3.
Quality
competitive on export markets
Uses
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in concrete and plaster aggregates |
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for insulation of building in temperate countries. |
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horticultural, soil conditioning and as fertiliser carriers in agriculture. |
South Africa dominates the European market. It is projected that Malawi can win up to 10,000 tonnes of the European market.
Location
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Katengeza, Dowa |
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Lobi, Dedza |
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Significant resources in Ntcheu and Lilongwe still undelineated. |
Resources
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2.7 million tonnes of graphite ore grading 5.8% C have been delineated by drilling at Katengeza. A much larger deposit has been discovered at Chimutu in Lilongwe district but resources have not yet been evaluated. |
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Lobi reserves roughly estimated at 5000 tonnes. |
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Quality 4.2% carbon with possible recovery of 86% of material. |
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The size of the graphite meets specifications for crucible grade flakes. |
Uses
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manufacture of lead pencils |
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refractories, foundries and making of carbon steel. |
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graphite electrodes for electric arc furnaces, batteries, brake linings etc. |
Potential
the shortage of graphite in the early 1980s still continues. So the potential is very favourable, particularly applying small-scale mining technologies.
Location and Resources
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Tundulu, Mulanje. 2.3 million tonnes grading 12% phosphate occur in apatite bearing shallow zone of carbonatite. |
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Nathache, 670,000 tonnes rock averaging 20% P2O5, 1,431,000 tonnes rock averaging 15% P2O5, and greater than 2,000,000 tonnes rock averaging 10% P2O5. |
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Kangankunde, Machinga (not delineated) |
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Mlindi, Mwanza |
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Chingale, Zomba. Reserves of 8.76 million tonnes of friable elluvium grading 3.76% phosphate have been indicated. |
Quality
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Tundulu, at 6% P2O5 in hard, but access poor (P2 05 means phosphate). |
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Chingale, at 3.8% P2 O5, but in soil (about 230,000 tonnes in situ phosphate) hence simple to extract. |
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Mlindi at 2%P2O5, reserves not delineated. |
Uses
for production of simple or compound phosphate fertilisers.
Potential
very high for direct or acidulated rock phosphate as occurring in Malawi. Status of this resource may be revised depending on agricultural research. Most Malawi imported fertilisers are combined Nitrogen and phosphorus.
Location
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Malingunde, Lilongwe |
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Chisepo, Dowa (occurs as iron sulphides) |
Resources and Quality
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10 million tonnes proven reserves occur at Malingunde Hill in Lilongwe district grading at 10% sulphur and 34 million tonnes grading at 8% Sulphur occur at Chisepo in Dowa district. |
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Large unexplored resources occur in the Lilongwe-Dowa area. |
Uses
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Manufacture of sulphuric acid is the largest use, and the acid is widely used in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. |
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In Malawi sulphuric acid would also be required for the manufacture of pulp and paper and other sulphur based products. |
Potential
Low at present, dependent on expansion of chemical industries. A by-product is iron ore, which would have use in the steel industry.
Location
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Linthipe, Dedza |
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Nkhande and Senzani, Ntcheu |
Resources
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15 million tonnes at Linthipe, |
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600,000 tonnes at Nkhande in Ntcheu (5 km on the M1 road to Lilongwe) and |
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0.5 million tonnes delineated by pitting at Senzani. |
Quality and Uses
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high kaolin content suitable for manufacture of stone ware (cups and saucers, electric insulators on power lines, and tiles). |
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Linthipe clay already being used as refractory furnace lining by some industries in Blantyre. |
Potential
very high but for small scale production to meet local demand. Research is underway in Geological Survey Department.
very widespread particularly in southern Malawi. It is estimated that there are over 600 million tonnes of calcitic and dolomitic limestones. This is a very valuable asset, which is rarely appreciated because it is not as exotic as gold or copper. Presently local limestone is used in production of cement, lime, and "Vim".
Resources
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Chikoa/Livwezi Marble deposit: 17 million tonnes proven reserves with low Mg-content. |
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Bwanje deposit: 4 million tonnes of low magnesia limestone proven by drilling. Suitable for the production of chemical grade lime. |
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Changalume deposit: 135 million tonnes proven reserves grading 92% CaCO3 and 0.82% MgCO3. |
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Other resources occur in Lirangwe, Matope and Chenkhumbi, while sedimentary limestone occur at Uliwa, Mpata in Karonga district and Nthalire, in Chitipa district. |
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over 25 million tonnes have been delineated on Mulanje mountain. Chemical analysis shows that the bauxite contains an average of 43% Al2O3. An economic feasibility study by Lonhro (1973) showed that if exploitation is at 125,000 per year the deposit could have a life span of 43 years. Inferred reserves are 60 million tonnes. |
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Malawi imports aluminium sulphate for water purification, made in Zimbabwe from Mozambique bauxite and excess sulphuric acid from their other mining processes. |
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can also be used for the manufacture of refractories. |
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the potential is high; the presence of Malawi-Nacala railway line and the possible power supply from Cabora Bassa makes the exploitation cheaper and attractive. |
Uranium has been delineated at Kayerekera in Karonga district, about 40 kilometres west towards Chitipa. The deposit has a grade of 0.23% uranium and it is found in Karoo Sandstones.
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Heavy mineral sands have been discovered at Mpyupyu, where over 11.9 million tonnes grading 3.8% ilmenite and 0.01% rutile have been proven at a depth of 10m. |
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At Tengani, over 100 million tonnes of heavy mineral sands have been indicated from widely spaced pitting with a grade of 1-4% ilmenite and 0.34% rutile. |
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Heavy Mineral Sands also occur along the shores of Lake Malawi in Salima and Karonga but the resources are not yet known. |
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These occur in several Dambos in Mchinji district and at Lake Chiuta-Chirwa Sand Bar. More than 1.0 million tonnes with 97% silica and less than 0.2% iron oxide have been delineated in dambos found in Mchinji. These are suitable for the manufacture of pale green glass. |
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25 million tonnes of silica have been delineated at the Lake Chiuta-Chirwa Sand Bar suitable for the manufacture of brown bottles. |
The potential for the discovery of petroleum or gas exist but current research is at a very early stage. Preliminary work carried out in 1985 indicates that very thick sedimentary basins (2 to 3 km thick) occur in the northern part of the lake and the Shire Valley area in the south.
OTHER MINERALS OF HIGH EXPORT POTENTIAL:
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Kyanite (300000 tonnes reserves and greater than 1,000,000 tonnes inferred) in Ntcheu, |
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Gemstones such as rubies and sapphires in Ntcheu, emeralds and aquamarines in Mzimba, Chitipa and Nkhata Bay, and agates in Chikwawa. |
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Gold: Gold has been reported in Lisungwe Valley in the Kirk Range Area, in Dwangwa Area in central Malawi and Nathenje Area. In Lisungwe alluvial gold has been found in streams that are confluences to Lisungwe River. In Dwangwa area Alluvial gold has been reported in the Dwangwa River and some of its tributaries. The gold is sparsely distributed among the numerous quartz stringers and veins in the country gneisses. In Nathenje area, gold colours have been detected in panning samples collected in banks of some dambos close to outcrops of calc-silicate granulites. Also associated with this gold are sulphide bands that are sporadically distributed within the gneisses. |
OTHER MINERAL RESOURCES WITH HIGH POTENTIAL FOR EXPLOITATION:
Nepheline syenites,
Talc,
Gypsum for the production of chalk and plaster of Paris (over 450,000 tonnes in Dambos of Dowa district),
Dimension stones, which include: Amazonite granite, Sodalite granite and a wide variety of ‘black’ and ‘pink’ granites found scattered countrywide.
Copper has been reported at Namikunga Hill in Nsanje district and it occurs as primary copper sulphides, as secondary carbonates and also as iron oxides derived from by products of oxidation and leaching of primary copper and iron at depth. 1,675 tons ore at 3.5% copper have been delineated.
For more information, please contact:
The Director
Geological Survey Department
P.O. Box 27, Zomba, Malawi
Tel: 265-524166 Fax: 265- 524716
Email: geomalawi@chirunga.sdnp.org.mw