03 | AFRICA » PROJECTS » OTHER COUNTRIES

• ETHIOPIA
• DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
• TANZANIA
• MADAGASCAR
• SOUTH AFRICA

Ethiopia

Ethiopia, slightly less than twice the size of Texas, has a population of 77 million. Amharic is the main language, with Arabic and English the languages of business. In addition to gold, the landlocked country has reserves of platinum, copper, potash, natural gas and hydropower. Gold is Ethiopia’s main mineral export and has been mined there since ancient times, primarily as alluvial or free gold. At present, Ethiopia has a single large-scale gold mine, Lega Dembi. During the 1990’s, the government revamped mining law and regulations and began upgrading infrastructure to support mining. Ethiopia’s geological survey continues regional mapping and geophysical surveys over parts of the country and has completed its survey of the promising Bure and Abergele gold and base metal prospects.

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Democratic Republic of Congo

French-speaking Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), formerly known as Zaire, is slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US with a population of some 60 million. The DRC is rich in cobalt, copper, niobium, tantalum, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, uranium and coal. The DRC’s Kilo Moto Goldfields are believed to be among the largest in Africa. Historical production there between 1903 and 1967 has been estimated at more than 10 million ounces of gold. In the Kibaran Gold Belt in east central DRC, recent exploration from Namoya to Twangiza by Banro Corporation has resulted in inferred resources of 5.4 million ounces of gold.

Another focus area is the Kibaran Belt in South Kivu and Maniemu Provinces in east-central DRC, which hosts a major portion of the country’s gold deposits, including Banro Corporation's multimillion-ounce discoveries of at Twangiza-Namoya. This 210-kilometer long swath has the potential to become another of the continent’s major gold belts. Historically, its major producing areas have yielded a reported 2.4 million ounces of gold. Early exploration along the belt by Banro Corporation has shown indicated, measured and inferred resources totalling nearly 8 million ounces of gold. The belt trends northeast from Namoya to Twangiza at the central DRC’s eastern border with Tanzania and is believed to continue into Burundi, Rwanda and southern Uganda. In 2003, the DRC began a return to relative political stability and the creation of a more favourable investment environment.

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Tanzania

Tanzania, bordering the Indian Ocean between Kenya and Mozambique, is slightly larger than twice the size of California. The country has a population of 37 million and the official language is Kiswahili or Swahili, with English as the language of business. Tanzania, rich in tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones, gold, natural gas and nickel, is enjoying a booming mining sector, particularly for gold and gemstones. In fact, minerals now account for more than 52% of exports.

In Tanzania’s south, there is a major nickel belt that contains the Kabanga nickel deposit, now the world’s second largest undeveloped nickel deposit after Voisey’s Bay in Canada. In the northwest, bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo, are the Lake Victoria Goldfields with a resource base of more than 13 million ounces. Tanzania has become one of the fastest-emerging gold producers in Africa, and is now the continent’s third-largest gold-producing country after South Africa and Ghana. Based on ongoing projects and developing mines, Tanzania now has proven gold reserves of more than 36 million ounces.

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Madagascar

Madagascar, the fourth largest island in the world, is located in the Indian Ocean off Africa’s southeast coast. Slightly less than twice the size of Arizona, the country has a population of 18 million and two official languages, French and Malagasy. A growing number of mineral exploration companies are now testing Madagascar’s deposits of nickel, gold, ilemenite, bauxite and precious stones, chiefly sapphires, rubies and diamonds.

The influx of exploration is due in large part to Madagascar’s development of a new mining code in co-operation with the World Bank. The code reduces taxes on income and dividends, lowers customs duties, establishes a uniform licensing regime and grants the right to international arbitration of disputes. Madagascar is also updating and improving its geological and mining databases. Madagascar’s 10 gold-producing regions are estimated to produce as much as 70 tonnes of gold. Most gold exploration is taking place in northern areas, especially in the Betsiaka Goldfield.

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South Africa

South Africa is the world’s largest gold producer, a leading diamond producer and is among the top ten coal producers in the world. Platinum, vanadium and chromate also figure high in South Africa’s resource inventory. South Africa has enormous gold ore reserves, estimated at 40,000 tonnes, representing 40% of global reserves.

The main gold producing area is concentrated on the Witwatersrand Basin, which has been mined for more than 100 years and has produced more than 41,000 tonnes of gold. The Basin remains the greatest unmined resource of gold in the world. There are also a number of greenstone belts, with the main producers being the Barberton greenstone belt and the Kraaipan greenstone belt. The Barberton greenstone belt is situated in the Mpumalanga province, just north of Swaziland. The Kraaipan belt is located west of Johannesburg, near Kuruman.

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