Madagascar mining investments expected to create 36,300 jobs
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on L'Express de Madagascar
Illustrative image · Safi Erneste · Pexels · Licence PexelsMadagascar's Mining Ministry announces nearly $400 million in new mining investments for 2026, expected to generate 36,300 direct and indirect jobs. It also forecasts more than $80 million for corporate social responsibility, while at least 800,000 people are believed to depend on small-scale mining, according to the ministry.
Nearly $400 million in mining investments have been announced in Madagascar for 2026, while no new projects had been recorded at the start of the year, according to the Mining Ministry. The projects are expected to generate 36,300 jobs, including 6,300 direct positions and 30,000 indirect jobs in transport, the supply of goods and services linked to mining sites.
The ministry is also forecasting more than $80 million for the corporate social responsibility of mining companies in 2026. At the same time, small-scale mining provides a livelihood for at least 800,000 people, according to data provided by the authorities.
Legal exports from small mines reached 1,170 billion ariary in 2023, notably thanks to artisanal gold, according to the 2023 report of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, published in December 2025. The number of recorded operators rose from 3,614 in 2025 to 9,603 in 2024, according to partial data cited by the Malagasy media.
Madagascar accounted for about 24% of global mica production and 5% of graphite production in 2024, according to the US Geological Survey. In 2023, more than 95% of Madagascar's exports of raw mica went to China. The development of local processing units is presented as a way of creating more skilled jobs.
