JASON BREWER It is a good time to be producing and selling manganese into the market
Battery metals miner Marula Mining, under the leadership of CEO Jason Brewer, is rapidly expanding its operations across Africa, which he highlighted – during a presentation at Resources for Africa’s Junior Indaba, in May – was made possible through the company’s focus on swift production and forming strategic partnerships.
Marula, listed on both South Africa’s A2X Markets exchange and the Apex segment of UK-based capital market company Aquis Stock Exchange, has seen significant growth and is now focusing on projects in South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya.
Specifically in South Africa, Marula operates the Blesberg project in the Northern Cape province, which produces tantalite, tungsten and feldspar, and is set to start production of additional minerals later this year.
The site benefits from historical stockpiles, which the company has started processing, and started selling in May, said Brewer during the presentation.
He also highlighted the profitability of the operation, saying it is a high margin, profitable business which Marula will use as the base to grow upon.
The expansion into the openpit operation convention will mean that Marula is moving away from stockpile reprocessing.
Manganese, Copper Efforts
In East Africa, Marula started production in March at a manganese mine in Tanzania.
This project has advanced quickly, with the company upgrading existing processing equipment and securing logistics and transportation contracts.
“Within three months, we have invested both in exploration and new equipment, and have basically grown that business from a very small scale, up to one where we’re looking at producing between 250 000 t to 500 000 t per hour,” commented Brewer.
With first sales anticipated by the end of May at the time of the presentation, Brewer noted the favourable market conditions, saying that the benchmark prices for manganese have risen between 60% and 70% over the past six weeks.
In addition, Marula is preparing to start production at a copper mine in Tanzania in the second half of this year.
Brewer highlighted the efficiency of the process undertaken at this copper project, stating that mining licences are in place for everything the company has been doing, and plans on doing. This, he noted, gives Marula “the ability to avoid a one- to two-year delay while going through the regulatory run”.
Community, Environmental Initiatives
Brewer noted that Marula is committed to involving local communities in its operations, and works closely with local partners, as well as established community trusts to ensure economic benefits are shared.
During his presentation at the Junior Indaba, Brewer emphasised the importance of this approach, saying that the miner works with local partners who have stumbled in raising capital and do not have the necessary skills or access to capital markets.
Further, Marula is also exploring sustainable energy solutions, including a potential solar power station in collaboration with an energy company, to provide an eco-friendly power source for its operations in Tanzania.
Financial Stability
After securing necessary funding in November 2022, Marula’s financial strategy enables it to progress with its projects without constantly seeking additional capital, thereby providing a stable base for continued development.
A key partnership with logistics service provider Q Global Commodities, led by Quinton Van den Berg, has been “instrumental” in this stability, offering both financial backing and strategic insights, said Brewer.
“We’ve been able to avoid the typical funding challenges faced by junior companies, allowing us to go in a straight line with our projects,” he enthused.
Looking forward, Marula plans to expand its graphite projects near Moshi, Tanzania, in the second half of this year.
The company aims to produce higher-value products such as lithium carbonate, enhancing profitability and reducing transportation costs.