Ministry of Mining says it targets empowering Geological Survey Department (GSD) to conduct detailed exploration so that companies should not start from studies when investing in the sector.
Secretary for mining Martin Kaluluma Phiri disclosed this at a time medium and large scale miners in the country are forced to start from exploration before feasibility studies and the actual extraction, a process which is long and expensive.
In an interview, Kaluluma Phiri acknowledged that the current process is not encouraging to investors and said the ministry is now determined to see all exploration studies be done by the GSD in collaboration with the recently established Malawi Mining Company.
He said: “We are trying to get our own GSD to do adequate and detailed exploration across the country so that when investors arrive they should not start from zero, they should start from somewhere where there is already near complete studies for them to just decide.
“That should shorten the space that it takes and so we hope that the GSD in conjunction with the Malawi Mining Company can come together and make sure that we have that kind of information in the near future.”
In a separate interview, mining expert Grain Malunga described exploration as a key element in mining as it establishes the quantities of the deposits to determine whether they are worth investing for extraction.
Malunga said leaving investors to do the exploration studies increases the cost of investment which makes it difficult for them to let local investors get equity participation at a later stage based on significant investment they put during exploration.
“It is very necessary for government and local investors to participate at exploration because they can be part and parcel of the project from the initial stages although most local companies are not willing to take such a risk considering its capital intensive nature,” Malunga said.
Meanwhile, Nico Holdings Group business development executive Zizwani Khonje, whose company financed the second Malawi Mining Investment Forum with K50 million said they are now determined to start investing in mining after its assessment discovered that the sector will drive the economy in the long-run.
“As one of the biggest companies in the country, we want to invest in both exploration and extraction activities in the sector. We know that mining needs huge investment but we want to make an assurance that Nico Group is ready not only to participate but to play a leading role in mining sector,” he said.
Speaking during the opening of the second mining investment forum on April 28 2025 in Lilongwe, President Lazarus Chakwera ordered officials in the mining sector to embrace transparency and accountability in transactions and ensure that Malawians are not given raw mining deals.
For instance, Chakwera faulted the information gap on key mining projects, notably the Kasiya Rutile discovery in Lilongwe.
Said Chakwera: “It is disturbing that Malawians have yet to hear anything from mining officials about activities in Kasiya.
“Our minerals are a matter of national security and there is no better security than putting things in the light.”
Mining is part of the Chakwera administration’s ATMM Strategy comprising Agriculture, Tourism, Mining and Manufacturing around which government expects to build the nation’s economy.
