The Malawi government (www.malawi.gov.mw) announced towards the end of last month that new mineral deposits have been discovered through a $30 million geophysical survey sponsored by the World Bank and the European Union.

Natural Resources Minister Bright Msaka said that the minerals were phosphate, copper, kimberlite, niobium and uranium. No details were given of the size or value of the deposits. Unlike many African countries whose economies rely on mineral exports, Malawi has until now only benefitted from a $185 million uranium mining project in the north of the country.

Mr Msaka said that the geophysical survey “will significantly increase our knowledge of our geology and enable prospective investors to start using it in geological mapping and mineral exploration. In the past, our country’s full mineral potential was poorly understood because of lack of geological information; this hindered meaningful mineral exploration.”

Mr Msaka said that the first time Malawi collected mineral data was 30 years ago, when it “did not have enough details and accurate data. The new data, acquired using ‘state of the art’ equipment, is accurate and has reduced the high risks involved in discovering mineral resources.”

He hopes that Malawi — like Tanzania, Uganda and Mozambique — will now witness a surge in foreign investment in the minerals industry.

Neville Huxham, managing director of Global Metals and Mining (Africa) Ltd, told a press briefing that the survey is “a step in the right direction, because it is showing us where there is a possibility of exploring Malawi’s mineral potential. A great deal of work now begins, because you need a lot of investment to open a mine.”