Northern Graphite gears up to restart the Okanjande graphite mine in Namibia WhyAfrica visited Okanjande on day 21 of the WhyAfrica RES Road Trip. In the picture below is graphite from the Okanjande mine close to Otjiwarango in Namibia. Today the mine is owned by Canadian company Northern Graphite, and it is gearing up […]
Northern Graphite gears up to restart the Okanjande graphite mine in Namibia Read More »
Zambia targets a new phase of mining growth New heights are in sight as Zambia targets a new phase of mining growth Zambia is positioning itself for a major expansion of its mining industry, underpinned by an ambitious copper production target supported by regulatory reform, renewed exploration and a broader strategy to harness value from
Zambia targets a new phase of mining growth Read More »
Botswana’s light still shines bright Botswana remains one of the few bright lights in Africa, despite a growing list of challenges. By Leon Louw founder of WhyAfrica and Endorphin Expeditions The 2026 WhyAfrica RES Road Trip left Botswana yesterday, 60 years after the country gained independence. Botswana made amazing progress since that historic day
Botswana’s light still shines bright Read More »
The KCB gives Botswana hope Botswana should be optimistic about ongoing projects in the Kalahari Copper Belt. By Leon Louw founder of WhyAfrica and Endorphin Expeditions There is enough happening in the Kalahari Copper Belt (KCB) to offer some grounds for optimism about the country’s strategic diversification plans in the wake of the great diamond
The KCB gives Botswana hope Read More »
Botswana’s chicken or egg conundrum To diversify its economy Botswana will first have to make sure the necessary infrastructure is in place. By Leon Louw founder of WhyAfrica and Endorphin Expeditions In a country like Botswana (that is desperately trying to diversify its economy away from relying on diamond mining), planning is critical. Rapid
Botswana’s chicken or egg conundrum Read More »
Botswana’s salt of the earth Botash produces the most soda ash in the world at its salt and soda ash operation on Sua Pan in Botswana. By Leon Louw founder of WhyAfrica and Endorphin Expeditions. There are only two soda ash mines in the whole of Africa. Hard to believe, isn’t it? Soda ash (sodium
Botswana’s salt of the earth Read More »
Is Jindal ready to be fired up? Jindal Energy says its 700M coal fired power station will be commissioned in December 2026. By Leon Louw founder of WhyAfrica and Endorphin Expeditions Yesterday, on day 5 of the 2026 WhyAfrica RES Road Trip, we visited the Mmaphashalala community next to Jindal Energy Botswana’s new coal
Is Jindal ready to be fired up? Read More »
Geology knows no borders North Arrow’s Kraaipan occurs on the same geological trend as Harmony Gold’s Kalgold mine in South Africa By Leon Louw founder of WhyAfrica and Endorphin Expeditions. WhyAfrica’s Leon Louw caught up Eira Thomas, President and CEO of North Arrow Minerals. We discussed the company’s early-stage Kraaipan gold exploration project close
Geology knows no borders Read More »
Exploration is the name the game in Botswana Botswana is a world class mining jurisdiction. However, its exploration pipeline is thin. By Leon Louw founder of WhyAfrica and Endorphin Expeditions. Botswana is ranked as the top mining jurisdiction in Africa. Yet there is not enough exploration drill rigs in the field to ensure a
Exploration is the name the game in Botswana Read More »
In the footsteps of explorers It is up to a handful of exploration geologists and entrepreneurs to find what the world needs. By Leon Louw founder of WhyAfrica and Endorphin Expeditions Exploration is the focus of the 2026 WhyAfrica RES Road Trip through Botswana and Namibia. The trip starts in Johannesburg, South Africa today.
In the footsteps of explorers Read More »
Kal Tire’s achieves new milestone Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group has achieved independent ISO verification for its KalPRO Maple Program. The verification provides customers with greater confidence that the carbon savings reported through the Maple Program are credible, transparent and based on recognised greenhouse gas accounting principles. Calculating environmental benefits The program calculates the environmental
Kal Tire’s achieves new milestone Read More »
Kibali is a hard act to follow Several junior miners and exploration companies are looking to become the DRC’s next big gold play. By Leon Louw founder of WhyAfrica and Endorphin Expeditions One of the new players in the northeastern Haut-Uélé Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is Vancouver based DRC Gold
Kibali is a hard act to follow Read More »
Africa’s resource nationalism returns High commodity prices are reviving Africa’s familiar push for greater state control. There is a familiar cycle unfolding across Africa. When commodity prices rise sharply, governments begin asking why foreign mining companies should capture so much of the upside from resources that belong to the nation. Gold and copper are again
Africa’s resource nationalism returns Read More »
The Gulf’s strategic African footprint Ports, minerals and geopolitics are driving deeper Gulf engagement across Africa. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is now one of Africa’s most strategically important external investors. The often-quoted US$110 billion figure refers to UAE investment projects announced between 2019 and 2023, rather than realised Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). UAE officials
The Gulf’s strategic African footprint Read More »
Linking Lithium batteries and volcanoes When one visits a volcanic region, the last thing one would think about is lithium batteries right? By Leon Louw founder of WhyAfrica and Endorphin Expeditions There is something very powerful about walking atop an active volcano tracking magma flow and lava tubes. One can feel the restless
Linking Lithium batteries and volcanoes Read More »
Join us in May 2027 for a trip to Mozambique We’re heading to Mozambique for 12 days in May 2027 and we have space for 10 people. Earlier this year WhyAfrica’s sister company Endorphin Expeditions & Tours organised and operated the first ever WhyAfrica Business Trip to Zambia. We loved it so much that
Join us in May 2027 for a trip to Mozambique Read More »
Chasing blue skies and ground truths It’s not only Africa’s blue sky that we’ll be chasing during the 2026 WhyAfrica RES Road Trip. By Leon Louw founder of WhyAfrica and Endorphin Expeditions Yes, we will be searching for the BEST blue-sky investment opportunities. BUT we’ll also be chasing the ground truth and hard facts.
Chasing blue skies and ground truths Read More »
Will Zambia’s local content rules boost mining suppliers? Local-content rules will test whether Zambia creates industry or finances imports. By Leon Louw founder of WhyAfrica and Endorphin Expeditions Will Zambia’s local-content rules create a real mining supplier industry, or merely change who finances imported goods? That is the question after mining giant First Quantum Minerals
Will Zambia’s local content rules boost mining suppliers? Read More »
Africa’s artisanal mining reality On-the-ground insight, context and insight reveals Africa’s mining and business realities. By Leon Louw founder of WhyAfrica and Endorphin Expeditions To make sense of all the noise and get the facts straight, you need to be on the ground. Being where the action happens provides context and insight. Context is invaluable
Africa’s artisanal mining reality Read More »
Lobito Corridor to transform agriculture in Angola Angola’s Lobito Corridor will transform eastern Angola into an agricultural hub. By Leon Louw founder of WhyAfrica and Endorphin Expeditions. A lot of focus has been on the Lobito Corridor’s importance as a link between Angola’s coast and Africa’s mineral rich interior. However, Lobito will also be
Lobito Corridor to transform agriculture in Angola Read More »
The future of African mining is about exploration The WhyAfrica Road Trip will focus on the future of mining and environmental management. By Leon Louw founder of WhyAfrica and Endorphin Expeditions Without a solid pipeline of exploration projects, there will be no mining industry in Africa. At the same time, how these projects ultimately develop and
The future of African mining is about exploration Read More »
Botswana’s Tati District finds new life Exploration drilling in Tati could blow new life into an historic mining region. By Leon Louw founder of WhyAfrica and Endorphin Expeditions Archaeological records show that the Bakalanga people started mining gold in the Tati District of Botswana centuries ago. European interest was first piqued in the
Botswana’s Tati District finds new life Read More »
Will Zambia’s election result bring stability or raise more questions? Hichilema secured a second 5-year term, winning 61% of the vote. By Leon Louw founder of WhyAfrica and Endorphin Expeditions President Hakainde Hichilema’s second-term victory gives Zambia political continuity. But opposition leader Brian Mundubile gave Hichilema an unexpected run for his money. According to the
Will Zambia’s election result bring stability or raise more questions? Read More »
Power gap could constrain Namibia’s growth New mining projects and beneficiation will need reliable and affordable electricity. By Leon Louw founder of WhyAfrica and Endorphin Expeditions For Namibia’s current exploration boom to become a mining boom, the country will need a lot more electricity. Local beneficiation and more desalination plants will also require substantially more
Power gap could constrain Namibia’s growth Read More »
Five years of road tripping across Africa This year WhyAfrica will undertake our 5th overland road trip with Remote Exploration Services. Over the last four years we’ve spent a total of 145 days on the road, covered close to 36,000km, visited more than 100 different projects in 11 African countries, interviewed 120 stakeholders and handed
Five years of road tripping across Africa Read More »
A year of milestones It has been another busy and exciting year for WhyAfrica with several milestones along the way. By Leon Louw founder of WhyAfrica and Endorphin Expeditions Earlier this year we undertook our first WhyAfrica Business Trip, in collaboration with our sister company Endorphin Expeditions & Tours. We travelled to Zambia to explore
A year of milestones Read More »
Salt of the earth If you live in South Africa and use salt, have you ever wondered where the salt comes from? By Leon Louw founder of WhyAfrica and Endorphin Expeditions The saying goes that everything we eat and use as humans is either mined or grown. You would therefore assume that everything we eat
Will Kokoseb define Namibia’s Damara Gold Belt? WIA’s Kokoseb is a promising gold project in Namibia that deserves attention Article by Leon Louw founder of WhyAfrica and Endorphin Expeditions The Damara Gold Belt in Namibia is attracting more and more exploration companies. Wia Gold’s Kokoseb project is one of a growing number of interesting
Will Kokoseb define Namibia’s Damara Gold Belt? Read More »
Namibia tightens mining’s environmental rules New environmental safeguards in Namibia could reshape exploration and investment decisions. By Leon Louw founder of WhyAfrica and Endorphin Expeditions Namibia is one of Africa’s conservation leaders. Its exceptional natural heritage is among the country’s greatest assets. These natural resources support a thriving tourism industry that is an important contributor
Namibia tightens mining’s environmental rules Read More »
Namibia’s search for a fourth gold mine Namibia’s exploration pipeline is impressive, and the country could soon discover its next gold mine. By Leon Louw founder of WhyAfrica and Endorphin Expeditions Namibia could easily have four to six operating gold mines within the next 10 years. That is if some of the current greenfields exploration
Namibia’s search for a fourth gold mine Read More »
WhyAfrica provides on the ground information and business intelligence about the sustainable utilisation and extraction of natural resources in Africa. Read More
© 2024 Why Africa. All Rights Reserved.