The restart, inaugurated by President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera on 12 August, is expected to generate employment opportunities and stimulate regional economic growth.
Speaking at the ceremony in Karonga, President Chakwera emphasised the government’s commitment to leveraging natural resources for the benefit of all Malawians. The event drew senior government officials, traditional leaders from Karonga and Chitipa, and community representatives, underscoring the strong local and national support for the project.
The re-opening of the mine is already generating jobs in operations, infrastructure development, and support services. Lotus Resources Managing Director Greg Bittar said the company is committed to delivering long-term benefits for the region.
“We continue to make terrific progress in increasing mill throughput and are on track to achieve steady-state production of 200,000 lbs per month, 2.4M lbs per annum, in early CY2026,” Bittar said.
The plant has already processed high-grade ore from stockpiles, producing approximately 1,500 kilograms of uranium now entering the final stages of precipitation, drying, and packaging.
Infrastructure upgrades, including the expansion of the Tailings Storage Facility, are progressing in line with international safety standards. This work will support a planned 10-year mine life, offering sustained employment and contracting opportunities.
Lotus Resources holds an 85% stake in the Kayelekera mine, which historically produced around 11 million pounds of uranium between 2009 and 2014. The company also owns the Letlhakane uranium project in Botswana.
The relaunch of Kayelekera is being hailed as a revival of Malawi’s uranium industry and a catalyst for economic activity in the north of the country.
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