Lithium Deposits in Africa: A Synthesis of their Economic Geology and Metallogeny with Implications for Regional Mineral Exploration

Abstract

Lithium minerals are critical raw materials in the production of lithium-ion batteries for electric
vehicles and the energy storage infrastructure that drives the ongoing clean energy transition. The global surge in
demand for lithium has sparked concerns about a potential future supply shortage, prompting a scramble to secure
new resources. Currently, approximately 75% of the global lithium supply is derived from salt brines and clays,
whereas 25% is obtained from hard-rock pegmatite deposits, which are generally considered a more reliable
source of lithium. Africa is a continent endowed with abundant mineral wealth, including lithium, which is
contained in the rare-metal pegmatites that were previously mined intermittently for tin and tantalum in many
parts of the continent. Africa has now emerged as a destination of choice for several mining companies and
investors in the “rush” for the “white gold”. Africa is currently a significant contributor to the global lithium
supply chain, accounting for more than 10% of the world's production from several countries that host lithium
deposits of varying sizes and ore grades. This paper provides an overview of the economic geology and
metallogeny of lithium deposits in Africa, highlighting their geological settings, deposit types, spacetime
distributions, ore-forming processes, and ore genesis in relation to orogenic cycles. The paper also discusses the
potential for exploring lithium in Africa and identifying new frontier areas and mineral exploration strategies in
tropical lateritic terrains.
Keywords: Lithium deposits, Africa, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, lithium pegmatites, metallogeny, lithium minerals,
mineral exploration.