East African Mining News Unearthing Mining Opportunities in East Africa
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Rwanda has formally approved a joint venture with Kazakhstan’s state-owned mining company, JSC National Mining Company Tau-Ken Samruk, as the East African nation seeks to leverage its position as a top mineral producer and attract advanced exploration technology into its mining sector.
The agreement, greenlit during a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Paul Kagame, establishes a framework for joint mineral exploration and extraction across Rwanda. While official statements omitted specific capital commitments, targeted acreage, or target deposits, the deal marks Tau-Ken Samruk’s expanding footprint outside Central Asia as Western and regional allies race to secure critical mineral supply chains.
Geopolitical Alignment
The deal builds on momentum from President Kagame’s diplomatic visit to Astana, where he met Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to cement broader economic, trade, and resource agreements.
“Our two countries are good friends and partners, and we want to build on this strong foundation to further deepen our partnership,” Kagame said during the bilateral talks in Astana.
The partnership pairs Africa’s top exporter of tungsten with an ambitious state operator that is scaling up its global critical minerals presence. Tau-Ken Samruk is already developing high-grade domestic tungsten assets alongside U.S.-backed Cove Capital a $1.1 billion project designed to control roughly 15% of global output and reduce Western reliance on China, which commands over 80% of world tungsten production.
Strategic Context
For Kigali, bringing in Tau-Ken Samruk aligns with a broader agenda to modernize domestic geological surveying, transition away from exporting raw wolfram concentrates, and capture downstream value in the 3Ts market tungsten, tin, and tantalum.
Tungsten’s high density and heat tolerance make it essential for defense, semiconductor fabrication, and clean-tech supply chains. As global demand for high-spec industrial inputs rises, Rwanda is positioning its mining industry to move up the value curve.
“Discussions focused on exploring opportunities for collaboration in geological exploration, mineral resource development, and mining investment, with particular emphasis on strengthening Rwanda’s role in the global critical minerals supply chain,” according to a statement from the President’s office following follow-up meetings with Kazakhstan’s sovereign wealth fund, Samruk-Kazyna.
The joint venture will deploy modern geophysical exploration technologies to assess under-explored zones across the country, providing the technical backing needed to turn greenfield sites into producing assets.
