New Uranium Mining Projects in Africa: Status 2026

Reference article · Updated 2026-11-06

Key facts

Namibia produced 7,333 tU in 2024, about 12% of world output; Niger produced 962 tU (World Nuclear Association).
The Etango project in Namibia reached a positive final investment decision on 23 October 2026, with commissioning targeted for 2028.
Niger nationalised the SOMAIR mine in June 2025, after Orano lost operational control in December 2024.
Rosatom's Tanzanian project, Mkuju River, has a pilot plant (July 2025); production is scheduled to begin in 2029.

Africa's place in uranium supply

Africa is a major uranium source mostly through Namibia and Niger, with minor by-product output in South Africa. The World Nuclear Association reports 2024 output of 7,333 tU for Namibia, 962 tU for Niger and an estimate of 200 tU for South Africa, in a world total of about 60,200 tU. Existing African mines are covered on uranium mining in Africa: operating mines and ownership; this page concentrates on projects that are new, restarting or contested. Treat every status as dated: projects here are subject to financing, licensing and, in some cases, political change. The wider context is on the mining map.

Namibia: expansions and new open pits

Namibia has the largest set of advanced projects. The Langer Heinrich mine, in a calcrete deposit and processed by alkaline leaching, was suspended in May 2018, went into care and maintenance in August 2018, and restarted in March 2024. The World Nuclear Association reports that its ramp-up was completed by end-June 2026. Husab, a larger open-pit mine, had reached about 4,600 tU in 2025 against a design capacity of about 5,100 tU/yr and commissioned a pilot heap-leach plant in July 2024. Rössing's life was extended to 2036 (Rössing profile).

New projects include Bannerman's Etango, where the joint venture took a positive final investment decision on 23 October 2026. A CNNC subsidiary, CNOL, is a minority partner; reported ownership splits differ between sources and are not repeated here. Stage one (Etango-8) targets about 3.5 million pounds U₃O₈ a year over 15 years, with commissioning in 2028, according to trade reports; the mining licence was reported granted in December 2023.

Deep Yellow's Tumas project had not taken a final investment decision in the sources reviewed, though it signed a power agreement with NamPower in December 2025, which is conditional on a decision. Under Namibian policy, Epangelo Mining has exclusive control of new strategic mineral developments, a rule that did not apply to existing mines.

Niger: closures, nationalisation and permit withdrawals

Niger's mines have been affected by state action. Cominak closed in March 2021 after producing about 75,000 tU. Orano lost operational control of SOMAIR in December 2024, began ICSID arbitration in January 2025, and Niger nationalised SOMAIR in June 2025. SOMAIR was the only mine operating as of 2024, providing about 1.6% of world mining output.

Niger withdrew Orano's operating permit for the large Imouraren deposit in June 2024, and removed the mining rights for Madaouela (held by GoviEx, now part of Atomic Eagle) in July 2024; the company filed ICSID arbitration in December 2024 and negotiations on a new mining convention were ongoing in mid-2026. Global Atomic's Dasa project (permit December 2020, underground development from November 2022) has first production scheduled for the second half of 2028, subject to financing. SOMINA (Azelik), closed since 2015, has had reports of preparations to resume that were unconfirmed.

Tanzania: Mkuju River

Mkuju River in the Namtumbo district of southern Tanzania is the country's main uranium project. Tanzania issued a special mining licence in April 2013 to Mantra Tanzania, then owned by Mantra Resources and acquired in 2012 by ARMZ; the project is now under Rosatom's Uranium One. At that time the World Nuclear News reported 36,000 tU of measured and indicated resources and planned output of 1,400 tU a year, and UNESCO had agreed in 2012 to remove the mining area from the Selous Game Reserve.

Work stalled for years, and a pilot processing plant was commissioned in July 2025; Rosatom's announcement said construction would start in early 2026 and production would begin in 2029. Capacity claims in news coverage vary, with the main plant designed for up to 3,000 tonnes of uranium a year according to Rosatom. No source confirming construction start or production was found.

Malawi and South Africa

At Kayelekera in Malawi, Lotus Resources restarted the mine after the earlier operation (about 2009 to 2014). The company announced the first batch of uranium oxide on 1 September 2025 and targeted steady-state output of about 200,000 lb U₃O₈ a month; a March 2026 update said ramp-up was on track for nameplate output in the second quarter of 2026, which has not been checked against company filings. For the Malawi restart, trade reports are the source.

South Africa's uranium is mainly a by-product of gold. The World Nuclear Association reports that Harmony's Moab Khotsong is the only significant source, with output of 200 tU a year from 2022 to 2024. The Karoo uranium project was abandoned by Peninsula in 2018, and in December 2024 Sibanye-Stillwater agreed to sell the Beatrix 4 shaft, including the Beisa uranium project, to Neo Energy Metals. See uranium in South Africa.

Ownership, state control and offtake

Many African uranium projects have significant state or foreign-state involvement: Chinese companies hold large stakes in Husab and Rössing, a Rosatom subsidiary leads Mkuju River, and in Niger the state has taken over assets formerly operated by Orano. Namibia requires local participation of at least 15% in any mineral licence and gives Epangelo Mining exclusive control of new strategic mineral developments.

These arrangements shape who buys the uranium and how disputes are resolved: Niger's cases are in international arbitration, which is a company claim and not a finding. Sanctions, safeguards and export controls can also affect marketing, which is a topic for uranium production and demand.

Reading project news critically

African uranium news mixes company targets, government statements and independent reports. Typical gaps include resource estimates that are not reserves (see resources and reserves), production start dates repeatedly postponed, and capacity numbers quoted differently in different outlets. Tanzania's capacity figures illustrate this. Regulatory and social questions, such as radiation protection, water, and land rights, are outlined on regulation and Indigenous peoples, and ISL's role in some projects is in ISL explained.

Frequently asked questions

Which African country produces the most uranium?

Namibia, with 7,333 tU in 2024 (about 12% of world output), according to the World Nuclear Association.

What happened to uranium mining in Niger?

Cominak closed in 2021; Orano lost operational control of SOMAIR in December 2024, and the government nationalised SOMAIR in June 2025. Permits for Imouraren and Madaouela were withdrawn in 2024.

Is the Etango project approved?

The Etango joint venture took a positive final investment decision on 23 October 2026, with commissioning targeted for 2028, according to trade reports.

When will Mkuju River produce uranium?

Rosatom's July 2025 announcement scheduled production for 2029. We found no confirmation that construction had started.

Has the Kayelekera mine in Malawi restarted?

Lotus Resources announced the first uranium oxide batch on 1 September 2025 and was ramping up in 2026.