Step 1
Ore is taken out of the ground
Holes are drilled in the ground (if it’s an open-pit mine) or in the rock-face (if it’s an underground mine), and explosives are placed in them to blast it open. The resulting...
Supply and demand: we all know how this works. If there’s too much of something (whether bricks, maize or tomatoes), there’s a glut and the price goes down – because the product is so easy to get that people...
1. It’s the world’s second-largest diamond producer
Botswana is the world’s second-largest producer of diamonds, after Russia. The country is forecast to produce 22 million carats in 2017, which is more than a quarter of world production by value. Botswana...
There is a myth that many people believe with regard to copper mining – that the price of copper alone determines the strength and success of the industry, as evidenced by the amount of copper produced.
Whilst price is a...
In 2013, for the very first time, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) overtook Zambia to become Africa’s leading copper producer, with an output of 925 000 tonnes. This is an extraordinary accomplishment, given that barely 10 years earlier,...
Technology and innovation, along with the relentless search for new mineral deposits, are taking mining into unchartered waters. Quite literally, in this case, as mining companies look to begin harvesting minerals that can be found on the seafloor.
Barely five...
You may think of tin as a humble metal, and you aren’t alone. Tin is often overlooked, but the element is certainly not without value. Tin has an important place in yours and many other modern lives. Read on...
1. It is one of the world’s biggest producers of diamonds
In 2017, Sierra Leone produced nearly 450 000 carats of diamonds, making it the world’s eighth-biggest producer. Other minerals mined in Sierra Leone include gold, rutile, iron ore, and...
This striking graph confirms what Zambians may have suspected, both intuitively and through personal experience – it’s mining that is the main driver of the economy and helps to put money in people’s pockets.
GDP per capita is a country’s...
by Gavin Keeton
This article first appeared in the January 2018 edition of Africa in Fact, Issue 44. Africa in Fact is the journal of Good Governance Africa. It is published here with permission.
In July 2016, the United Nations Conference...
