Malawi Lands $12 Billion Chinese Deal To Boost Mining And Balance Regional Influence

The Southeastern African country has secured $12 billion in mining and infrastructure investments from China. The deals, signed under Malawi’s Minister of Mining, Ken Zikhale Reeves Ng'oma, could elevate the landlocked country in the global commodity value chain.

The $12 billion package is divided into two transactions. The first is a $7 billion deal with China's Hunan Sunwalk Group to develop titanium mining and processing facilities in Salima, central Malawi. This largest-ever foreign investment includes commitments to technology transfer, local skills development and social infrastructure. Building the downstream mineral processing capacity is set to create thousands of jobs.

The second is a $5 billion agreement with Xidian International Stock Exchange, focused on establishing a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Chipoka, strategically located on the shores of Lake Malawi.

The SEZ will integrate mining, agri-industrial and infrastructure development with $1 billion worth of projects expected to launch ...