Business

The best time to measure the overall contribution of a mine to society is when it is about to close, and Chibuluma Mine on the Copperbelt is an ideal case-study. Chibuluma was one of the first Zambian mines privatised in 1997, and after more than 18 years of operation, it …

  Universal Mining and Chemical Industries Limited is investing K70 billion into mining iron ore west of Kafue, says Dr Julius Kaoma. In a recent interview, Dr Kaoma, who is UMCIL Kafue Steel Plant executive technical director, said the mine would help reduce importation of steel into Zambia. In the same …

Zambia Chamber of Mines president Nathan Chishimba says the mining industry has no major concerns going into next month’s elections because there is an understanding among all political parties that mining is not a short-term venture. There have been concerns by some political and economic commentators that after the elections, …

Zambia cut its trade deficit by 92%, a move that is expected to shore up the country’s economic outlook of sustained. The copper rich country recorded a trade deficit in May 2016 valued at K 65.2 Million, representing a 91.5 percent drop in the trade deficit from K765.3 Million recorded …

Aim-listed BMR said it had been approached for an offtake agreement for agricultural-grade zinc sulphate heptahydrate (ZSH) and lead sponge from its Kabwe project, in Zambia. The mineral processing group secured Zambia Environmental Management Agency approval for the environmental- and social-impact assessment for its tailings retreatment process and the construction …

There is a direct correlation between the market size of contract mining and the commodities cycle/prices and investment patterns in capital projects Historically, mining was a highly protected industry and had a low propensity for outsourcing, but more operations are being outsourced across Africa, says global consultant and adviser Deloitte. …

AIM-listed Gemfields has successfully auctioned its lower quality rough emerald extracted by its 75%-owned Kagem mine in Zambia for US$14.3 million. Of the 3.67 million carats offered for sale, 2.78 million carats, or 76%, were sold at the auction, which took place in Jaipur, India, between 17 and 20 May. …

Diversified mining company Anglo American has produced less diamond, copper, coal, manganese alloy and niobium in the three months to March 31. Diamond production fell by 10%, copper production by 19%, export thermal coal by 13%, export metallurgical coal by 9%, Eskom coal by 8% and niobium by 13%. Refined …

Dangote Group, Nigeria’s largest company, is struggling with a constricted supply of foreign-exchange in the West African country and is relying on its international cement operations and export-credit agencies to get around the shortage. “The forex situation is extremely tight in Nigeria,” group executive director Devakumar Edwin said on Wednesday. …

Plunging copper prices have pushed the copper industry into a quandary, with global demand deteriorating to an even worse extent than many people realise, Bernstein senior research analyst Paul Gait told delegates at the 2016 Investing in African Mining Indaba this week. Gait noted, however, that copper was fundamentally scarce …