Uranium Mining in Africa: A Continent at the Centre of a Global Nuclear Renaissance

The document examines Africa's role in the 'global nuclear renaissance,' noting that the continent holds 18% of world uranium resources. It details the production activities of Namibia, Niger, Malawi, and South Africa, while identifying emerging exploration in countries like the Central African Republic and Tanzania. The author argues that while uranium mining provides significant GDP contributions and employment, it is plagued by governance challenges, including a lack of institutional capacity to monitor environmental and health impacts. The paper compares African practices with those in Canada and Australia and suggests that strengthening government capacity and adopting international best practices, such as those from the IAEA and EITI, are essential for sustainable development.

• Africa accounts for 18% of global uranium production, with Namibia (8%), Niger (7%), Malawi (1.2%), and South Africa (1%) as the primary producers.
• Global interest in African uranium is driven by rising energy demand, climate change concerns, and the relative cost-efficiency of nuclear power compared to volatile fossil fuel prices.
• African governments generally lack the technical expertise and institutional capacity to monitor uranium mining operations and ensure that health and environmental laws are respected.
• Uranium mining provides significant economic benefits in some nations; for instance, uranium mining contributed 4% of Namibia's GDP in 2008, a figure projected to reach 13% by 2015.
• Environmental risks associated with uranium mining in Africa include the deterioration of water quality and quantity, habitat loss, and threats to biodiversity.
• There is a lack of financial transparency in the sector, as many governments and companies do not publish mining agreements; Niger is the only African uranium producer fully compliant with the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).
• Several African nations are exploring the development of their own nuclear power plants to address dire energy shortages, including South Africa, Namibia, Tanzania, Kenya, Niger, and Nigeria.
• The African Commission on Nuclear Energy (Afcone), created in 2011, serves as a multilateral forum to promote the peaceful and secure use of nuclear science and technology in Africa.

APA

Dasnois, N. (2012). Uranium Mining in Africa: A Continent at the Centre of a Global Nuclear Renaissance. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Occasional-Paper-122.pdf

Chicago

Dasnois, Nicolas. Uranium Mining in Africa: A Continent at the Centre of a Global Nuclear Renaissance. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2012. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Occasional-Paper-122.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Dasnois |first1=Nicolas |title=Uranium Mining in Africa: A Continent at the Centre of a Global Nuclear Renaissance |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=September 2012 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Occasional-Paper-122.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dasnois2012uranium, author = {Dasnois, Nicolas}, title = {{Uranium Mining in Africa: A Continent at the Centre of a Global Nuclear Renaissance}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2012}, month = sep, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Occasional-Paper-122.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }