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Zimbabwean businessman eyes titanium value addition industry in Africa
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Zimbabwean-born CEO Donovan Chimhandamba of South Africa-based Nyanza Light Metals has unveiled ambitious plans to establish a beneficiation and value addition industry for titanium minerals in Africa. The company, a manufacturer of titanium dioxide pigment and other chemicals, aims to address the continent's longstanding challenge of exporting raw materials with minimal value addition.
Speaking at the Africa Investment Forum in Rabat, Chimhandamba emphasized Africa's vast untapped potential in titanium beneficiation, particularly in South Africa, which is the world's second-largest producer of titanium-bearing minerals after Australia.
"South Africa has an abundance of titanium minerals, yet very little value addition is done on the continent," Chimhandamba said in an interview with CNBC Africa's Godfrey Mutizwa.
South Africa accounts for 22% of the global titanium-bearing mineral output, with 6.1 million tonnes produced globally. The country's ilmenite and rutile reserves, primarily extracted from beach placer deposits along its eastern, southern, and northeastern coasts, remain largely unprocessed locally.
Titanium minerals are recovered at three major operations: Richards Bay Minerals' Tisand mine, Exxaro's Hillendale mine, and Namakwa Sands mine. Despite these extensive deposits, beneficiation efforts have lagged, leaving Africa reliant on imports for value-added titanium products such as pigments.
Chimhandamba's project seeks to close this gap by establishing a titanium pigment plant requiring US$860 million in funding.
Nyanza Light Metals' initiative goes beyond titanium pigment production. Chimhandamba outlined the company's broader vision, including the construction of a lithium-ion phosphate plant. This aligns with the company's strategy to drive industrialisation across the continent.
"Beyond the titanium pigment project, we are strategically planning for the future with a broader vision that includes the construction of a lithium-ion phosphate plant," Chimhandamba said. "This long-term strategy is designed to not only advance the titanium pigment project but also to pave the way for further industrial projects in Africa."
The project is expected to reduce Africa's export-import imbalance, create quality jobs, and unlock additional industrial projects. By fostering local beneficiation and manufacturing, Nyanza Light Metals aims to spur economic growth and transform Africa's raw materials into high-value products.
Chimhandamba's vision exemplifies a shift towards sustainable industrialisation on the continent, leveraging Africa's abundant natural resources to drive economic empowerment and self-reliance.
As the project gains momentum, it signals a new era of value addition and industrialisation, ensuring Africa reaps the full economic benefits of its vast mineral wealth.
Speaking at the Africa Investment Forum in Rabat, Chimhandamba emphasized Africa's vast untapped potential in titanium beneficiation, particularly in South Africa, which is the world's second-largest producer of titanium-bearing minerals after Australia.
"South Africa has an abundance of titanium minerals, yet very little value addition is done on the continent," Chimhandamba said in an interview with CNBC Africa's Godfrey Mutizwa.
South Africa accounts for 22% of the global titanium-bearing mineral output, with 6.1 million tonnes produced globally. The country's ilmenite and rutile reserves, primarily extracted from beach placer deposits along its eastern, southern, and northeastern coasts, remain largely unprocessed locally.
Titanium minerals are recovered at three major operations: Richards Bay Minerals' Tisand mine, Exxaro's Hillendale mine, and Namakwa Sands mine. Despite these extensive deposits, beneficiation efforts have lagged, leaving Africa reliant on imports for value-added titanium products such as pigments.
Nyanza Light Metals' initiative goes beyond titanium pigment production. Chimhandamba outlined the company's broader vision, including the construction of a lithium-ion phosphate plant. This aligns with the company's strategy to drive industrialisation across the continent.
"Beyond the titanium pigment project, we are strategically planning for the future with a broader vision that includes the construction of a lithium-ion phosphate plant," Chimhandamba said. "This long-term strategy is designed to not only advance the titanium pigment project but also to pave the way for further industrial projects in Africa."
The project is expected to reduce Africa's export-import imbalance, create quality jobs, and unlock additional industrial projects. By fostering local beneficiation and manufacturing, Nyanza Light Metals aims to spur economic growth and transform Africa's raw materials into high-value products.
Chimhandamba's vision exemplifies a shift towards sustainable industrialisation on the continent, leveraging Africa's abundant natural resources to drive economic empowerment and self-reliance.
As the project gains momentum, it signals a new era of value addition and industrialisation, ensuring Africa reaps the full economic benefits of its vast mineral wealth.
Source - online
