- Zambia rare earth elements were formally named 1 of 11 critical minerals in the country’s first national critical minerals guide, launched in Lusaka in July 2025 by the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development and the British Geological Survey.
- Two named REE projects exist: Kesya in southern Zambia, held by a subsidiary of Antler Gold (TSXV: ANTL), and Nkombwa Hill in the northeast, held by Xram Traws Limited.
- Kesya has never been drilled and remains at the licensing stage, despite a 2023 option agreement with Prospect Resources (ASX: PSC).
- Nkombwa Hill has seen no exploration activity since 2022, and Marula Mining relinquished its 23.75% stake for nil consideration in December 2024.
- Nkombwa Hill carries a JORC 2012 resource of 21.8Mt at 7.06% P2O5 and 1.17% TREO, alongside tantalum and niobium mineralisation.
- Zambia’s REE story currently reflects policy and geological classification running well ahead of project activity, a pattern consistent with South Africa and Angola.
Zambia rare earth potential is built on a 2025 policy classification, not on active project development. The Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development and the British Geological Survey named rare earth elements one of 11 critical minerals in Zambia’s first national critical minerals guide, launched in Lusaka on 16 July 2025, alongside cobalt, lithium, copper, graphite, manganese, nickel, columbite tantalite, tin, uranium and sugilite. On the ground, two named REE projects exist, Kesya in the south and Nkombwa Hill in the northeast, and neither has moved past early stage. Kesya has never been drilled. Nkombwa Hill has had no exploration work since 2022, and its funding partner walked away for nil consideration in December 2024.
Zambia’s Critical Minerals Strategy and Where REE Fits
The Critical Minerals Potential of Zambia guide, co-produced with the Zambian Geological Survey Department and funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, was the country’s first attempt to map its full critical minerals inventory against the Zambian National Critical Minerals Strategy. Rare earth elements sit alongside ten other designated minerals, but the guide’s own framing places REE well behind copper, cobalt, lithium and manganese in terms of near-term production readiness.
Zambia is the tenth-largest global copper producer and is targeting 3 million tonnes a year by 2031, and that copper base, not rare earths, is what draws Barrick Gold, First Quantum and newer entrants such as KoBold Metals into the country. For the regional picture beyond Zambia, see Africa’s rare earth landscape, where Zambia’s early stage projects sit alongside more advanced peers.
Kesya: A Carbonatite Target Still Awaiting Licensing
Kesya, roughly 90km south of Lusaka on a tarred road, is a carbonatite-hosted system held by Antler Exploration Zambia, a subsidiary of Antler Gold’s Kesya project. Surface grab sampling has returned a highest result of 6,559 ppm (0.66%) TREO, with neodymium and praseodymium making up around 29% of the basket, a favourable split for magnet-grade demand.
In May 2023, Antler signed an option agreement with Prospect Resources under which Prospect could earn up to 51% of the project through staged payments totalling roughly US$3.05 million. No drilling has taken place under that agreement or since. Antler’s current project listing shows Kesya as available for option at up to 95% and describes its status simply as awaiting licensing for further work commencement, which does not reflect an active Prospect earn-in and suggests that 2023 arrangement is no longer in force. Zambia rare earth watchers tracking Kesya specifically should treat it as a pre-drilling, application-stage asset rather than an active exploration programme.
Nkombwa Hill: Dormant Since Its Funding Partner Exited
Nkombwa Hill, a carbonatite complex in northeast Zambia, carries a more substantial resource than Kesya on paper: a JORC 2012 Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource of 21.8Mt at 7.06% P2O5 and 1.17% TREO, with associated tantalum and niobium mineralisation, held under license by Xram Traws Limited.
Marula Mining, then trading as All Star Minerals, took a 23.75% interest in Xram Traws in the second half of 2022. In December 2024, Marula relinquished that stake for nil consideration, stating that no exploration activity had taken place on the project since it acquired the interest, and citing a strategic shift toward its Blesberg and Northern Cape assets in South Africa instead. No replacement investor has been identified. Zambia rare earth coverage of Nkombwa Hill should note the resource is real and JORC-compliant, but the project itself has had no active operator for close to two years.
Zambia Rare Earth Compared to Regional Peers
Zambia’s pattern, a credible policy signal paired with dormant assets, matches what has played out across several of its neighbours. Zimbabwe’s rare earth sector includes the Katete project close to the Zambian border, and both countries share the same gap between geological promise and funded drilling programmes.
Mozambique’s Monte Muambe project follows a similar early stage trajectory, still years from a construction decision despite comparable grade data.
Zambia’s position among the continent’s top rare earth countries reflects this wider pattern: strong on national classification and geological survey work, thin on committed project capital. That gap is the throughline across most of sub-Saharan Africa’s REE jurisdictions right now, Zambia included.
What to Watch
Three signals would change Zambia’s rare earth trajectory from potential to progress: a confirmed licence grant and drilling start at Kesya, a new funding partner stepping into the vacancy Marula left at Nkombwa Hill, or a government-backed push, similar to the cobalt sulfate refinery drive, that extends beyond copper into REE-specific incentives. Until one of those materialises, Zambia rare earth remains a classification story built on a solid geological base rather than an active mining narrative.
What critical minerals classification does Zambia rare earth fall under?
Rare earth elements are one of 11 minerals named in Zambia’s national critical minerals strategy, developed with the British Geological Survey. The full list and geological detail are covered on this page.
Where are Zambia’s named rare earth projects located?
The two identified REE projects are Kesya, a carbonatite system in southern Zambia near Lusaka, and Nkombwa Hill, a carbonatite complex in the country’s northeast.
Is any rare earth project in Zambia currently producing or drilling?
No. Both named projects remain at pre-production stage, with licensing and funding status set out on this page. Neither has an active drilling programme underway.
Which companies hold Zambia’s rare earth project licenses?
Kesya is held through Antler Exploration Zambia, a subsidiary of Antler Gold. Nkombwa Hill’s exploration license is held by Xram Traws Limited. Current ownership and partner status are detailed above.
How does Zambia’s rare earth sector compare to other African countries?
Zambia follows a pattern seen across several sub-Saharan jurisdictions: strong critical minerals classification and geological survey work, but limited funded project activity. See our Zimbabwe and Mozambique country pages for comparison.
