How to source, grade, price, contract, pay for, ship and verify the five minerals that power batteries, magnets and electronics, from the African countries that produce them.
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Buyers rarely lose money on African minerals because the minerals do not exist. They lose it by paying for the wrong grade, trusting a fake assay, signing a weak contract, shipping a radioactive cargo without the right papers, or missing an export rule that changed while the trucks were on the road.
And 2025–26 changed the rules faster than ever. Zimbabwe suspended lithium concentrate exports in February 2026. China tightened export controls on rare earths and graphite. Tin touched almost US$59,000 a tonne, and tantalum prices more than doubled.
This guide gives you one clear method for all five minerals: what to ask for, how to price it, how to test it, how to pay for it and how to get it out of the country legally.
Calculated from USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 country estimates. Full breakdown in the guide.
One part for each mineral, each colour-coded and built on the same four-chapter method, plus a full buyer’s toolkit that applies to all five.
Why these minerals matter now, five supply chains, Africa’s map and who the competing buyers are.
Spodumene, lepidolite, Li₂O and LCE, Zimbabwe’s export halt, SC6 pricing and a buying procedure.
NdPr and heavy REEs, African projects, China’s controls, basket-value pricing and radioactivity rules.
Cassiterite grades, Bisie, Rwanda and Nigeria, LME-linked formulas and 3TG compliance.
Coltan and tantalite, Africa’s 85% share, US$/lb Ta₂O₅ pricing and the 2026 spike.
Flake size and fixed carbon, Madagascar, Tanzania and Balama, prices and US trade duties.
Supplier checks, scams, sampling, contracts, payment, logistics, export law, ESG, geopolitics and price risk.
The Jos Plateau playbook for buying in Nigeria, five worked deals and the outlook to 2035.
Every mineral part follows the same four chapters, so the answer you need is always in the same place.
Minerals, grades, impurities, conversion factors and what the end user needs.
Producing countries, mines, owners, volumes and export policy.
The benchmark, the discount formula, penalties and what moved prices in 2025–26.
Spec sheet, sampling, testing, documents, red flags and a checklist.
A fixed price pulled from the air is the start of most disputes. The guide shows how to link each mineral to its published reference price, adjust for grade and impurities, and arrive at a defensible price at an African port.
Step-by-step worked examples cover a 4% Li₂O ore, a monazite concentrate, a 68% Sn cassiterite, a 30% Ta₂O₅ tantalite and a 94% fixed-carbon flake.
| Mineral | Benchmark | Reference point (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Lithium | SC6 spodumene | ≈ US$2,254/t (Sep) |
| Rare earths | NdPr oxide | US$110–120/kg (Jul–Aug) |
| Tin | LME tin | Peak US$58,860/t (Jan) |
| Tantalum | US$/lb Ta₂O₅ | US$200–210/lb (Mar) |
| Graphite | Flake by FC & mesh | ≈ US$1,000/t (2025 avg) |
Indicative reference points from USGS, S&P Global Platts, Argus and company reports, as cited in the guide.
A colour-coded field-manual layout with buyer’s briefs, deal tips, red-flag boxes, charts and checklists.
Copy them, fill them in and keep them on your desk.
Element to oxide, units, and every pricing formula in one place.
Fill-in spec sheets for all five minerals.
Corporate, commercial, technical, ESG and site-visit checks.
Sample wording for price, sampling, umpire, payment and export bans.
Line-by-line price builds for each mineral.
Production, regulator, export position and buyer’s notes.
From 3TG and FC to QP, SC6 and TREO.
Short answers to the questions buyers ask most.
One transaction per mineral, from spec to settlement.
Companies sourcing lithium, rare earths, tin, tantalum or graphite from Africa for the first time or at scale.
Traders, processors and procurement managers who need firm pricing and safe contracts.
Anyone assessing African supply, export policy and country risk.
Sellers who want to understand exactly what buyers pay for, and get paid more.
Due diligence, 3TG, radioactivity and battery-regulation requirements in plain language.
Learners at the Augustina Impex Mining Academy and beyond.
Kolawole King is the Chief Executive Officer of Augustina Impex Limited, a mineral sourcing and export company in Jos, Plateau State, the historic centre of Nigeria’s tin, columbite and tantalite trade. He works daily with miners, buying centres, laboratories and international buyers of tin, tantalum, lithium and rare-earth minerals, with exports executed through licensed partner Jase Odus Nigeria Limited.
He founded the Augustina Impex Mining Academy, whose titles include From Pit to Port, Buying Minerals from Nigeria, Bastnäsite in Nigeria, Monazite Sand in Nigeria, Lithium Ore in Nigeria and Coltan in Africa.
Kolawole KingChief Executive Officer, Augustina Impex Limited
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No. It covers the whole continent: Zimbabwe, Mali, Nigeria, the DRC, Rwanda, Madagascar, Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Angola, Ethiopia, Ghana and others. Nigeria has its own practical chapter because it supplies four of the five minerals.
Production data come from the USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, and prices and policy events were checked through September–October 2026, including Zimbabwe’s February 2026 export suspension and China’s export controls.
It is a practical buyer’s guide: grades, pricing formulas, sampling, contracts, payment, logistics, export rules and responsible sourcing, supported by data, charts and worked examples. For an in-depth tantalum market analysis, see Coltan in Africa.
Yes. Augustina Impex Limited sources and exports tin, columbite, tantalite, lithium ores, monazite and other minerals from Nigeria through licensed partner Jase Odus Nigeria Limited. Contact augustinaimpex@gmail.com or WhatsApp +234 906 090 4274.
The Augustina Impex Mining Academy also publishes From Pit to Port, Buying Minerals from Nigeria, Bastnäsite in Nigeria, Monazite Sand in Nigeria, Lithium Ore in Nigeria and Coltan in Africa.