Africa is home to some of the world’s richest mineral reserves, yet policy, infrastructure, and governance often determine whether these resources attract investment. According to the Fraser Institute’s 2025 Annual Survey of Mining Companies, mining executives rank jurisdictions based on geological potential and government policy, including taxation, regulatory certainty, and infrastructure quality. The survey, which polled over 2,300 executives, combines a Policy Perception Index (PPI) and a Best Practices Mineral Potential Index to produce the Investment Attractiveness Index (IAI). While mineral potential drives roughly 60% of investment decisions, policy perception remains critical. Globally, the most attractive mining jurisdictions continue to be in…
Author: TJ Markle
American Rare Earths Ltd (ASX:ARR, OTCQX:ARRNF) has consolidated its president and chief executive officer roles, appointing current CEO Mark Wall to the combined position effective immediately. The move is intended to sharpen decision-making and strategic alignment as it progresses its flagship Halleck Creek rare earths project in Wyoming and advances preparations toward a potential US listing. Wall, who is based in North America, said Halleck Creek has been his “main focus area” since joining as CEO and flagged plans to accelerate project execution as part of efforts to support a domestic US “mine-to-magnet” rare earths supply chain. “In parallel, we…
Standard Uranium Ltd (TSX-V:STND, OTCQB:STTDF, FRA:9SU0) revealed it has locked in plans for the first-ever drill program at its Rocas uranium project in Saskatchewan’s eastern Athabasca Basin, as partner Collective Metals moves to fund the inaugural campaign under a three-year earn-in option. Phase I is set to comprise roughly 1,200 to 1,500 metres of diamond drilling across six to eight holes, targeting shallow basement-hosted uranium mineralisation in zones the company says sit around 100 to 200 metres below surface. Targets have been refined using anomalous uranium occurrences confirmed during a 2025 prospecting and mapping program This included radioactivity readings up…
Precious metals miners led gains in London on Monday as gold climbed to record highs following the US and Israeli attack on Iran, with investors rushing into safe-haven assets. Endeavour Mining PLC (LSE:EDV, TSX:EDV, OTCQX:EDVMF, FRA:6E2), the FTSE 100 gold producer, Fresnillo PLC (LSE:FRES), the Mexican silver and gold miner, and Pan African Resources PLC (LSE:PAF, OTCQX:PAFRY, JSE:PAN), the South Africa-focused gold company, all moved higher in early deals as spot gold surged 2.6% to top $5,411.39 an ounce. The advance built on a rise of more than 3% recorded last week, with silver also climbing as geopolitical risk intensified…
Standard Uranium Ltd (TSX-V:STND, OTCQB:STTDF, FRA:9SU0) revealed it has locked in plans for the first-ever drill program at its Rocas uranium project in Saskatchewan’s eastern Athabasca Basin, as partner Collective Metals moves to fund the inaugural campaign under a three-year earn-in option. Phase I is set to comprise roughly 1,200 to 1,500 metres of diamond drilling across six to eight holes, targeting shallow basement-hosted uranium mineralisation in zones the company says sit around 100 to 200 metres below surface. Targets have been refined using anomalous uranium occurrences confirmed during a 2025 prospecting and mapping programme. This included radioactivity readings up to 33,000…
Despite Canada’s attempt to develop its own critical minerals industry, studies from the Royal Bank of Canada determines it needs to reassess its strategy. As countries look to diversify their critical mineral supply chains away from China, Canada has been aiming to increase its own sourcing capabilities. In order to grow its own critical minerals industry, Canada requires a much larger capital than what it is currently dedicating to this project. If it can succeed, the country can support its own, and other Western nations’, attempts to diversify their critical minerals supply chains. A report by the Royal Bank of…
For the first time in at least three decades, geopolitical risks are triggering a jump in mining stocks rather than a sell-off. The shift marks the sector’s transformation from a bet on industrial growth into strategic investments linked with security, supply control, and state power, according to Jefferies analysts. The reversal highlights a broader change in global markets. Where geopolitical risks once meant weaker growth expectations and lower demand for raw materials, investors are increasingly treating conflict as constraints on physical supply — and as a reason to own the assets that produce it. Over the past six months, investments…
Desperate to break China’s grip on critical minerals, the Trump administration is splashing cash around the world FOR MOST of the past 30 years Western firms have been leaving rather than investing in the Democratic Republic of Congo, says Guy-Robert Lukama. The former chair of Gécamines, the main state-owned miner, reckons Chinese entities have stakes in 90% of Congolese projects. But now the Americans are “pushing, pushing, pushing”. In December American firms secured the first crack at a trove of mines and exploration sites in Africa’s most mineral-rich country. The US government also invested $553m in the Lobito Corridor, a…
The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) is currently conducting a federal environmental assessment for the proposed Springpole gold project in Ontario. This open-pit gold/silver mine and on-site metal mill, located approximately 110 km northeast of Red Lake, Ontario, has prompted the IAAC to invite Indigenous peoples and the public to submit comments on its draft environmental assessment report. First Mining Gold is proposing the construction, operation, decommissioning, and abandonment of the Springpole gold project. The project is designed with an ore production capacity of 65,000 tonnes per day over a 10-year mine life. The on-site metal mill would operate…
A NASA astronaut aboard the International Space Station carried out the experiment. Using microorganisms to mine meteorites could be an effective way to extract precious metals in space, scientists say. This is the subject of an experiment aboard the International Space Station that examines how such mining in low-gravity environments could support space exploration. Researchers from Cornell University and the University of Edinburgh have been working on a study based around the results of the experiment, which was carried out by NASA astronaut Michael Scott Hopkins. “This is probably the first experiment of its kind on the International Space Station…