Tanzania has introduced various new rules and regulations in the mining space since the beginning of 2016, which has raised some concerns among international mining companies about populist policies and natural resource nationalisation. For instance, the government banned coal imports in mid-2016 and then banned the export of unprocessed minerals in early 2017. Following this, and in response to a parliamentary committee report that suggested...

Uganda is considering its route-to-market options for the construction of an oil pipeline from oilfields in the Lake Albert basin to the East African coastline. Until recently, Kenya was convinced that it had secured the pipeline deal through to Lamu port, which would form an integral part of its northern corridor development plans. However, Tanzania has entered the fray and put forward an attractive option to route the pipeline to its northern...

Zambia is at the forefront of African countries that are suffering from the downturn in globally traded metal prices over the past few years. Government finances are under immense stress as revenue flows have contracted and international financing options have become much more limited and more costly. Severe drought conditions, chronic electricity shortages and the fast approaching August presidential and legislative elections are adding to the...

Zambia is by far Africa’s largest copper producer and has benefited greatly from rising output and historically high global copper prices over the past five years. According to the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA), copper production increased from 570,000 tonnes in 2008 to over 800,000 tonnes in 2012. Most recently, copper production rose by a further 20% in 2013 as new mining projects financed by international mining companies came on line. The...

Gabon is the fifth largest liquid fuels producer in Sub-Saharan Africa, although its production is a fraction of that in the region’s two largest producers (Nigeria and Angola). However, recent developments in Gabon are promising and could pave the way for increased foreign investment and rising production levels over the next five years. The Gabonese government finally settled a long-running oil license dispute with Addax (a subsidiary of the...