Authorities in the district of Bilene, in Gaza province, southern Mozambique, have revealed that the results of the survey on the existence of heavy mineral sands in the area will be known by the end of the first quarter of this year.
Quoted by Rádio Moçambique, the district administrator, Momade Araújo, explained that if the results are positive, the exploitation of heavy sands could create conditions for local and provincial economic growth, while also contributing to job creation for young people.
To ensure better future implementation of activities, the official said that “community awareness-raising efforts are currently under way among the communities that will be affected by the project, with a view to contributing to and participating in all processes.”
Heavy mineral sands are coastal mineral deposits rich in dense minerals such as ilmenite, rutile, zircon and others, used in the production of titanium, pigments and industrial materials. These deposits are abundant along the east coast, particularly in the provinces of Nampula, Gaza, Inhambane and Zambézia, representing a strategic component of the country’s mineral economy.
Specifically, the Moma mine, located in Nampula and operated by Ireland-based Kenmare Resources, is one of the world’s largest producers of heavy mineral concentrate (HMC), contributing around 7–8% of the global supply of ilmenite and rutile. In 2025, the company maintained its production targets despite climatic challenges and slower global demand, producing 298,400 tonnes of HMC in the third quarter.
Gaza province is already known to host heavy mineral sands, notably in the district of Chibuto, where the Chinese company Dingsheng Minerals is engaged in their exploitation. The company operates a plant budgeted at 700 million dollars, installed over an area of three thousand hectares and equipped with two production lines capable of processing 10,000 tonnes of minerals per day, mainly titanium ores.
In Inhambane, the start of exploitation of the vast heavy mineral sands reserves discovered in the districts of Jangamo and Inharrime remains without a set date, despite the high economic potential the project represents for the country. Confirmed in 2017, the existence of 4.4 billion tonnes of this mineral resource is considered strategic for the national economy and for boosting exports.
Two years later, in 2019, the government granted Mutamba Mineral Sands a mining licence covering 25,000 hectares, but six years after the concession, operations have yet to begin due to the lack of a Land Use and Benefit Right (DUAT), an essential document for any mining operation.
Meanwhile, in the district of Pebane, Zambézia province, mining activity by the Chinese-owned company África Mining remains suspended due to the occupation of facilities and infrastructure by members of the local community, who contest the alleged failure by the company to fulfil promised social commitments.
