Africa Rare Earth Projects: Top 10 Critical Deposits

Africa rare earth projects include several of the largest undeveloped rare earth deposits on the planet, spanning carbonatite-hosted NdPr systems in Tanzania, Malawi, and Angola, ionic clay heavy rare earth deposits in Uganda, and high-grade monazite occurrences across southern Africa. Most remain at advanced exploration or feasibility stage, but the continent’s project pipeline is substantive — backed by published resource estimates, completed scoping studies, and in some cases definitive feasibility work.

This ranking combines four criteria: total rare earth oxide (TREO) resource scale, project advancement stage (DFS, PFS, permitted, or in production), NdPr or heavy rare earth (HREE) grade relevance to the magnet supply chain, and realistic proximity to a production decision. Projects without a published JORC- or NI 43-101-compliant resource estimate are excluded. This is not a speculative list.

Africa accounted for a small but growing share of global rare earth output as of 2025, according to USGS Mineral Resources data. Burundi and South Africa are the only countries on the continent with active rare earth production at meaningful scale. The projects ranked below represent the development pipeline that could change that picture over the next decade.

How We Ranked the Top 10 Africa Rare Earth Projects

Rankings reflect a combined weighting of: (1) TREO resource size based on most recent published estimate; (2) project stage — DFS-complete projects rank above PFS-stage, which rank above scoping-study stage; (3) NdPr or HREE content relative to total REO, given the magnet supply chain is the primary demand driver; and (4) proximity to a production decision, including permitting status, financing progress, and offtake agreements. Projects earlier in the development pipeline with exceptional grade or scale can rank above more advanced projects with lower strategic relevance.

1. Ngualla, Tanzania — Peak Rare Earths (LSE/ASX: PEK)

Peak Rare Earths‘ Ngualla Project in southwestern Tanzania is one of the largest NdPr deposits outside China, with a mineral resource exceeding 214Mt at 2.26% total rare earth oxide — placing it among the top five undeveloped carbonatite REE deposits globally by contained TREO. The Ngualla Rare Earth Zone, a high-grade core within the larger resource, hosts approximately 18.5Mt at 4.80% TREO with a NdPr fraction consistently above 50% of total REO.

A definitive feasibility study is complete, and the project holds a Special Mining Licence from the Tanzanian government. However, Ngualla’s western supply chain credentials are complicated by its joint venture with Shenghe Resources, a Chinese state-linked entity that holds a significant stake. Offtake and financing arrangements with Shenghe improve the project’s path to production but raise questions about its eligibility for Western critical minerals programme support. Investors should monitor how this structure evolves relative to US and EU sourcing requirements.

Ngualla remains the benchmark African rare earth project by resource scale, project maturity, and NdPr quality. See also: Tanzania rare earth sector overview and top 10 rare earth deposits globally.

2. Songwe Hill, Malawi — Mkango Resources (AIM/TSX-V: MKA)

Mkango Resources‘ Songwe Hill carbonatite project in southern Malawi holds a measured and indicated resource of approximately 58Mt at 1.49% TREO, with a NdPr fraction of around 49% of total REO. A definitive feasibility study is at an advanced stage, with Mkango targeting a phased development approach that integrates mine, processing, and beneficiation.

Mkango’s differentiation lies partly in its downstream strategy. The company holds a stake in HyProMag, a UK-based rare earth magnet recycling technology company, adding a circular economy angle to what is primarily a primary extraction project. This downstream integration is unusual among junior REE developers and positions Mkango at both ends of the NdPr supply chain. Songwe Hill’s location in Malawi provides potential access to established transport corridors through Mozambique.

3. Longonjo, Angola — Pensana (LSE: PRE)

Pensana‘s Longonjo project in Angola is a carbonatite-hosted NdPr deposit that achieved initial concentrate production in Phase 1. As of early 2026, the company was navigating a significant corporate restructuring following financing challenges that placed Phase 2 — which would scale production and integrate with a planned UK-based separation facility at Saltend, Hull — on hold pending resolution.

Longonjo’s NdPr resource is substantial, and the project was among the most advanced in the African pipeline at its peak development stage. The current corporate status and Phase 2 timeline should be confirmed with Pensana’s latest investor communications before drawing firm conclusions on production prospects. The UK separation facility ambition, if revived, would give Longonjo a uniquely integrated western supply chain position. Investors should treat the timeline as uncertain as of early 2026.

4. Makuutu, Uganda — Ionic Rare Earths (ASX: IXR)

Ionic Rare Earths‘ Makuutu project in eastern Uganda is one of the largest ionic clay rare earth deposits outside China, with a JORC mineral resource of approximately 2.0 billion tonnes at 473 ppm TREO — giving it a contained TREO inventory that rivals or exceeds many hard-rock carbonatite projects by absolute scale. The ionic clay mineralogy allows for low-cost heap leach processing without the energy-intensive cracking steps required for carbonatite feedstocks.

Makuutu’s HREE profile is its key strategic asset. Dysprosium and terbium — the two critical magnet heavy rare earths tracked on our dysprosium price page — are present at commercially relevant concentrations. A definitive feasibility study is ongoing. The project sits in a politically stable part of Uganda with established road access. Makuutu ranks fourth rather than higher primarily because of its lower grade and DFS-not-yet-complete status relative to the top three.

5. Gakara, Burundi — Rainbow Rare Earths (LSE: RBW)

Rainbow Rare Earths’ Gakara project holds a unique position in the African rare earth landscape: it is the only actively producing REE mine on the continent outside South Africa, making it operationally de-risked relative to every other project on this list. Gakara hosts exceptionally high-grade REE vein mineralisation — among the highest-grade surface rare earth occurrences globally — and has been producing bastnäsite concentrate for export since 2017.

The resource scale is smaller than the top four projects, which limits Gakara’s ranking despite its production status. Rainbow has been working to expand resource definition and processing capacity. The project’s combination of current production, high grade, and low capital intensity makes it a different type of asset to the large-tonnage development-stage projects that dominate this list — lower risk, smaller scale, already generating revenue.

6. Steenkampskraal, South Africa — Vital Rare Earth Minerals

Steenkampskraal in the Western Cape of South Africa is a historically significant rare earth deposit — it was mined for thorium and monazite from 1952 to 1963, producing high-grade material that supplied global markets before being placed on care and maintenance. The deposit contains NdPr, terbium, and dysprosium at grades that would be economically significant if a restart can be engineered. Vital Rare Earth Minerals has been progressing a restart feasibility programme.

The project’s main challenges are its underground mining requirement — higher capital and operating cost than open-cut carbonatite alternatives — and the regulatory complexity of processing thorium-bearing monazite in the current environment. South Africa’s established mining infrastructure and mineral processing sector provide advantages that offset some of these challenges. Steenkampskraal ranks sixth based on its advanced resource knowledge and high NdPr-HREE grade, partially offset by the restart complexity.

7. Wigu Hill, Tanzania — Montero Mining (TSX-V: MON)

Montero Mining’s Wigu Hill carbonatite project in Tanzania holds a NI 43-101 inferred resource of approximately 110Mt at 1.64% TREO, with a NdPr fraction above 50% of total REO. The project is earlier in its development trajectory than Ngualla — no feasibility study has been completed — but its resource scale and NdPr quality justify its inclusion in the top 10 African rare earth projects.

Wigu Hill benefits from Tanzania’s established mining code and the country’s track record with large-scale resource projects, though the regulatory environment has evolved in ways that require careful review. See the Tanzania rare earth overview for country-level context. Montero has faced financing constraints typical of junior TSX-V developers; progress will depend on capital markets conditions and the broader REE price environment.

8. Glenover, South Africa — Glenover Phosphate

The Glenover carbonatite complex in Limpopo, South Africa, is primarily a phosphate project with substantial rare earth credits. The deposit contains REE mineralisation — including NdPr and HREE — hosted in a large carbonatite intrusion that also contains phosphate, vermiculite, and other industrial minerals. Feasibility work on the REE component has been advancing alongside the broader multi-commodity development programme.

Glenover ranks eighth because its rare earth component is secondary to the phosphate economics and because the REE resource definition remains less mature than the projects ranked above it. However, its location in South Africa — with established infrastructure, power, and a skilled mining workforce — gives it real development optionality that many African projects lack. The multi-commodity structure also provides revenue diversification that could support REE extraction economics.

9. Kangankunde, Malawi — Mkango Resources (AIM/TSX-V: MKA)

Kangankunde is Mkango Resources‘ secondary Malawi asset, distinct from Songwe Hill. Historically it is one of the world’s highest-grade carbonatite rare earth deposits by total REO content — historic data from exploration drilling in the 1950s–1990s recorded grades above 5% TREO in the upper mineralised zone. Modern JORC-compliant resource definition work is at an earlier stage than Songwe Hill.

Kangankunde ranks ninth rather than higher because of its earlier development stage and the absence of a current bankable feasibility study. Its exceptional historic grade warrants inclusion, but investors should be cautious about applying historical drill data to modern resource estimates without JORC validation. Mkango’s dual-project position in Malawi gives it flexibility to sequence development depending on capital availability and REE market conditions.

10. Toliara / Ranobe, Madagascar — Energy Fuels / Base Resources

The Toliara project in southwestern Madagascar — formerly operated by Base Resources, which was acquired by Energy Fuels (NYSE American: UUUU) in 2024 — is a heavy mineral sands deposit with significant monazite credits containing NdPr and other rare earths. The project has a large defined resource and completed feasibility work, but has faced sustained permitting uncertainty under Madagascan government policy, which suspended the project’s environmental permit in 2022 and has not fully resolved the situation as of early 2026.

Toliara ranks tenth because of this permitting overhang, which places an otherwise well-advanced project in an indeterminate regulatory position. Energy Fuels’ acquisition brings a well-capitalised and experienced operator to the asset — the company operates the White Mesa Mill in Utah, the only conventional uranium and rare earth processing facility in the United States. Resolution of the permitting impasse would materially improve Toliara’s development trajectory. Monitor Energy Fuels investor communications for the latest status.

Africa Rare Earth Projects — Summary Comparison

The Outlook for Africa Rare Earth Projects

Africa’s rare earth pipeline is large in aggregate but concentrated in risk. The continent’s projects face a common set of challenges: infrastructure gaps, royalty and fiscal regime uncertainty, and the difficulty of securing Western offtake and financing while China-linked entities remain the most willing capital providers. Ngualla’s Shenghe relationship illustrates the tension — Chinese financing accelerates production timelines but complicates eligibility for US IRA or EU CRMA critical minerals programme support.

The projects most likely to reach production decisions in the 2026–2030 window are those with completed DFS work, existing government permits, and a credible financing path — Ngualla, Songwe Hill, and Gakara are the nearest-term candidates. Western supply chain project rankings provide context on how African assets compete globally for capital and offtake. Neodymium price movements will be the primary demand-side trigger for investment decisions across this pipeline. See also: top 10 rare earth producing countries for the broader production landscape.

Data sourced from company disclosure documents, USGS Mineral Resources, and published feasibility studies. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Project data is subject to revision as companies publish updated resource estimates and feasibility work.