African Minerals and Steel Limited, a subsidiary of Rukuru Holdings Limited, has been awarded a 15-year medium-scale mining licence for limestone extraction at Uliwa in Karonga District and will create at least 200 jobs.
According a letter from the Mining and Minerals Regulatory Authority dated 11 March 2025, the licence is subject to final environmental clearance by the Malawi Environmental Protection Authority (Mepa).
The licence follows the successful completion of a comprehensive technical and economic feasibility study conducted between May and December 2024.
As part of the study, African Minerals opened trial pits for sampling and testing, confirming the commercial viability of the limestone deposits.
In a statement made available to Business News, the firm said it has secured financing for the project, which is expected to generate over 200 direct jobs at both the mine site and associated processing facility.
Rukuru Holdings Group chief executive officer Lumbani Mbale said in the statement the firm has already procured a modern limestone processing plant from China to setting up a plant in Mzuzu to produce both construction and agricultural lime.
He said: “This will significantly reduce Malawi’s dependence on imported lime and help conserve foreign exchange.
“Construction lime is vital for the country’s infrastructure development, and locally sourced lime will make a critical difference.”
Mbale said the investment aligns with the Government of Malawi’s agriculture, tourism, mining and manufacturing (ATM+M) strategy, which prioritises value addition and local beneficiation of natural resources to accelerate economic recovery.
Currently, the Malawi Government has signed MDAs with Mkango Resources to develop the Songwe Hill rare earths project, Lotus Resources to restart the Kayelekera Uranium Mine and Globe Metal & Mining for the Kanyika niobium project.
Malawi has eight energy transition mineral projects in the pipeline evaluated as potentially economically viable. They include Kayelekera Uranium in Karonga, Kasiya Rutile in Lilongwe, Kangankunde Rare Earth Elements in Balaka, Kanyika Niobium, Songwe Hills Rare Earth Elements, Makanjira Heavy Sands in Mangochi, and Malingunde Graphite in Lilongwe.
In its analysis of the mining sector, World Bank noted several factors could prevent Malawi from fully leveraging the potential of the mining sector to drive long-term growth and poverty reduction.
Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Simplex Chithyola-Banda said earlier that government is implementing transparent licensing processes, establishing legal frameworks that enforce fair partnerships, and strengthening institutional capacity through the Malawi Mining Authority.
Limestone is a critical input in the production of cement, agricultural fertilisers, water treatment solutions, and various construction materials.
According to the 2025 Malawi Government Annual Economic Report, while Shayona Cement Corporation, Cement Products Limited (CPL) and Lafarge Cement (Malawi) Limited remain the only producers of cement in Malawi, only Shayona Cement Factory based at Chamama in Kasungu District and Cement Products Factory in Njeleza, Mangochi District, are currently using locally mined limestone and iron ore to produce cement in Malawi.
In 2024, the two companies produced 515 448.2 metric tonnes (MT) from the 216 397.8 MT of limestone produced in the previous year, representing a 138.22 percent increase in production compared to the previous reporting period.
Similarly, iron ore production increased by 360.39 percent, with 2 944.64 tonnes from 639.34 tonnes produced in 2024.
“This was largely driven by the increase in demand for limestone and iron ore,” said Treasury in the report.
Established in 2017, African Minerals and Steel Limited is a Malawian-owned group with diversified interests across mining, energy, petroleum, rail logistics, and agriculture.
Currently, the sector contributes about one percent to the GDP, the broadest measure of economic growth.
