A CRU/World Bank study reveals why resource-rich nations struggle to move beyond ore extraction into refining—and what it takes to succeed in Great Powers
Country Profile
Zambia
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About Zambia
Copper is the backbone of Zambia's mining economy, and rare earths have not moved past exploration. USGS does not list Zambia separately for rare-earth production or reserves.
The Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development's critical-minerals strategy names rare earth elements alongside copper, cobalt, lithium and graphite. It records rare-earth occurrences at Nkombwa Hill in Muchinga Province and in carbonatites at Kesya near Kafue, Rufunsa and Mkwisi.
Kesya is held by Antler Gold through a Zambian subsidiary. Surface rock-chip samples found rare earths in monazite and bastnaesite, enriched in neodymium and praseodymium. Prospect Resources, an Australian explorer, declined to exercise an option on Kesya after administrative delays held up the exploration license the deal depended on.
The strategy leans toward state participation and domestic processing, through a proposed government investment vehicle and a review of raw-mineral exports. The open question is whether any Zambian carbonatite can be drilled out to a resource that would carry those terms.
Mine Production & Reserves
Policy & Regulation
Rare Earth Elements
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REEx Intelligence
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