Gallium adds to Malawi’s compelling exploration story
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Gallium adds to Malawi’s compelling exploration story
ASX listed DY6 Metals identifies Gallium at Tundulu.
By Leon Louw founder of WhyAfrica and Endorphin Expeditions and editor of the WhyAfrica magazine.
Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are a complex group of chemical elements which seems to occur in abundance in Malawi and Mozambique in Southern Africa.
During WhyAfrica’s 2024 WhyAfrica Road Trip we visited some of the prospective REE exploration projects in these two countries.
Although they occur in abundance, the challenge with REEs is that it is difficult and costly to separate them as they have very similar atomic sizes, charges and chemical properties.
Favourable geological conditions
The abundance of REEs in Malawi and Mozambique is due to a combination of favourable geological conditions, such as the presence of carbonatite and alkaline rocks, the tectonic activity that shapes the region, and the specific mineralisation processes that concentrate REEs.
Interestingly though is that an ASX listed exploration company called DY6 Metals recently identified significant amounts of Gallium at their Tundulu Project in southern Malawi.
DY6 is exploring for Heavy Rare Earths and lithium at several sites in the southern parts of Malawi. In April the company announced that “in addition to high-grade REEs and phosphate, a review of historical drill results at Tundulu has identified the presence of high-grade gallium (Ga) mineralisation from surface.”
This is interesting as Ga is not typically found with REEs but can sometimes be associated with them in certain mineral deposits.
Gallium is more typically found in trace amounts in bauxite, which is the primary ore of aluminum. It is also present in some zinc ores and can be a byproduct of zinc extraction.
Gallium’s unique properties
Gallium’s unique properties such as its ability to be a good semiconductor, its high melting point, and its capacity to form useful alloys make it crucial for cutting-edge technologies like LEDs, semiconductors, solar energy, and advanced electronics. Its role in high-temperature thermometers, research, and medical applications adds to its importance.
A compelling exploration story
The presence of Gallium at Tundulu makes the REE and critical mineral story in the south of Malawi and bordering Mozambique even more compelling. In neighbouring Mozambique, a stone throw from the Malawian border, several exploration projects have delivered surprising results.
In picture is a view of the landscape between Mozambique and Malawi. Please note that this is not the DY6 Metals project but another very interesting project site in Mozambique that WhyAfrica visited during the 2024 WhyAfrica Road Trip. Image credit: Leon Louw for WhyAfrica
Remember that our 2025 annual WhyAfrica Road Trip is due to depart in August, so if you want to be part of the 2025 WhyAfrica Road Trip story, please give us a call.
Gallium discovery adds to Malawi’s compelling exploration story
