Foreign-backed groups account for 42% of 2,727 exploration applications, while one quarter of claims are near or overlap protected and Indigenous lands.
India’s state coal producer is in advanced discussions over Wealth Minerals’ Chilean assets, but no structure or valuation has been agreed and any transaction depends on a special lithium operating contract.
India and the five-member Southern African Customs Union are expected to sign terms of reference for preferential trade negotiations, reopening a process stalled since 2008.
The U.S. Office of Strategic Capital made a conditional commitment of up to $400 million to Sunrise Energy Metals, linking development of the Syerston mine to a U.S.-aligned scandium supply chain.
Nigeria’s pledge to list its state oil company, South Africa’s ZAR 3 billion hydrogen-fund close and Namibia’s insistence on processing critical minerals at home show governments trying to set the terms of capital. None removes execution risk: Nigeria has no IPO timetable, the hydrogen vehicle still targets a fourfold expansion and Namibia must convert policy conditions into funded plants.
Lifezone Metals has identified a preferred partner for a strategic equity investment in Tanzania’s USD 940 million Kabanga development, with reports naming U.S.-backed Orion CMC. No formal agreement, stake size or valuation has been announced, and a final investment decision remains targeted for early 2027.
India’s state-backed minerals company holds exploration and exclusivity rights over five lithium-brine blocks covering 15,703 hectares in Catamarca, but drilling must still establish whether a commercially viable resource exists.
Presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Lee Jae Myung agreed to accelerate negotiations through a new working group, while a meat-sector inspection and critical-minerals cooperation provide early tests of execution.
The Canadian miner reported adjusted earnings well above market expectations after copper prices rose sharply and production increased, reinforcing investor focus on critical minerals and the company's pending combination with Anglo American.
