Marula Mining has completed due diligence on nine prospecting licences in Tanzania, moving closer to a proposed acquisition that would give it a 95% economic interest in a 170-square-kilometre exploration portfolio near its Kinusi Copper Mine.
Rio Tinto and venture builder Founders Factory have selected five startups for the fifth cohort of their Mining Tech Accelerator, backing technologies focused on geohazard monitoring, faster metal analysis, critical-mineral refining, mine planning and copper exploration.
Kodal Minerals has signed a binding agreement with Ghanaian consultancy GH Geo-Consult Limited to acquire up to an 80% interest in the Asamankese Lithium Project in Ghana’s Eastern Region, adding a new exploration asset to its West African portfolio.
Mali’s mining sector is beginning to see movement in exploration licensing, with 21 permits processed between August and September 2026, according to Fousseni Tougela, president of the Mali Chamber of Mines.
Gold Fields' South Deep mine produced 151,000oz in the first half of 2026, down 1%, while the group resumed surface exploration drilling and said it expects production at the mine to rise at least 20% over five years.
Fortuna Mining agreed on 10 August 2026 to pay $200m to acquire the Bambadji gold exploration project in Senegal from Barrick and IAMGOLD, extending its land position next to its own Diamba Sud discovery.
AngloGold Ashanti plans to resume exploration at its Nugrus and Najd blocks in Egypt's Eastern Desert in the third quarter of 2026, after halting work in March following an undisclosed incident.
Arrow Minerals has been granted a new three-year exploration permit for its Niagara bauxite project in Guinea, restarting work after a year-long suspension.
Swakop Uranium plans to spend N$235-million drilling about 100,000 metres at its Husab uranium mine in 2026, intensifying exploration across five known deposits after a 41% jump in drilling in 2025.
Montage Gold has acquired five gold exploration permits covering roughly 2,100 sq km in Mauritania, diversifying beyond its flagship Koné project in Côte d'Ivoire.
Botswana is redirecting mineral exploration toward critical minerals rather than diamonds, as a state-owned exploration company targets the 70% of the country never surveyed.
Barrick completed the sale of its Tongon gold mine and nearby exploration assets in Cote d'Ivoire to the Atlantic Group for up to $305m on 2 December 2025, transferring the mine to full Ivorian ownership for the first time since 2010.
The Junior Mining Exploration Fund grew to R1 billion after Anglo American added R600 million to government's R400 million, with applications opening on 30 September 2025.
The Junior Mining Exploration Fund has allocated its first R120 million to six projects, but data show South Africa's exploration spending has collapsed even as the sector's economic footprint stays large.
