Malawi set to resume uranium exports in August after minister’s talks with mine operator

Malawi is preparing to resume uranium exports for the first time in years, after the country’s Mining Minister met with the operator of the Kayelekera Uranium Mine to discuss the planned restart of operations.

Minister of Mining Thoko Tembo held talks with the Country Director and Board of Lotus Resources Limited, during which the Australian mining company briefed him on the current status of operations at Kayelekera and confirmed plans to resume uranium exports in mid-August 2026.

The minister acknowledged the update and used the meeting to reaffirm the government’s commitment to ensuring all mining activities comply with Malawi’s legal and regulatory framework.

He stressed that the mining sector remains a strategic priority under the government’s long-term development blueprint, Malawi 2063.

“Government will continue to promote transparency, accountability and responsible mineral resource development,” Tembo said.

In a significant regulatory move, the minister directed a technical team — drawn from the Department of Mines, the Malawi Mines and Minerals Regulatory Authority (MMRA), the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) and the Ministry of Finance — to engage with Lotus Resources on the reference price for yellowcake uranium, which will be used to calculate royalty payments ahead of the export resumption.

The meeting forms part of a wider programme of engagement between the Ministry and mining companies aimed at promoting compliance, responsible investment and the sustainable development of Malawi’s mineral resources.

Kayelekera, located in northern Malawi, was one of Africa’s significant uranium producers before operations were suspended amid falling global uranium prices.

The planned resumption of exports signals growing confidence in market conditions and positions Malawi to capitalise on renewed global demand for uranium, driven in part by the worldwide expansion of nuclear energy.