Lifezone signs Burundi Musongati nickel deal
LIFEZONE Metals, the parent company of Tembo Nickel, has signed a 14-month exclusivity agreement with the government of Burundi to assess the potential development of the Musongati Nickel Deposit.
The Kahama Multi-Metal Processing Facility will produce finished nickel via Lifezone’s Hydromet technology, with Musongati expanding Tanzania’s value-add model. Located roughly 200 km southwest of Kabanga in Ngara District within the East African Nickel Belt, the Musongati Nickel Deposit hosts an estimated 150-million-tonne laterite resource grading about 1.31 per cent nickel, alongside 0.21 per cent copper and 0.09 per cent cobalt.
According to the Company’s statement, this development underscores Tanzania’s strategic push through the Standard Gauge Railway, mineral beneficiation and industrialisation to position the country as a regional processing hub in line with the goals of Tanzania Vision 2050, which targets a 1 trillion US dollars economy.
The 696.41 million US dollars financing backed by the African Development Bank for Phase II of the Joint TanzaniaBurundi-Democratic Republic of the Congo Standard Gauge Railway Project is partly aimed at unlocking the nickel potential of the Musongati Nickel Deposit.
This reflects the integrated logistics vision of Tanzania Vision 2050 infrastructure serving multiple countries and sectors while leveraging Tanzania’s strategic location as a gateway to eastern and southern Africa. Tanzania Vision 2050 prioritises mineral beneficiation and export-led industrialisation.
The Kahama Refinery, using Lifezone Metals’ Hydromet technology and licensed to Tembo Nickel at the Buzwagi Special Economic Zone, will produce battery-grade nickel with copper and cobalt by-products in Tanzania.
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With Lifezone potentially uniting Kabanga and Musongati, Kahama could become a regional hub for the East African Nickel Belt, supporting Tanzania’s industrialisation, job creation and Vision 2050 goals. The SGR Central Corridor links Kahama to the Port of Dar es Salaam, with Musongati boosting cross-border freight, validating Tanzania’s westward rail investment.
Through a 16 per cent non-dilutable stake in Tembo Nickel, the government holds direct equity in the Kahama Multi-Metal Processing Facility, producing battery-grade nickel, cobalt and copper.
Kabanga projects 1,090 direct jobs (91 per cent Tanzanian nationals) plus thousands of indirect roles. A growing corridor has a potential to expand this pipeline.
