Mali Resumes Exploration Permit Processing After 2022 Suspension

Mali’s mining sector is beginning to see movement in exploration licensing, with 21 permits processed between August and September 2026, according to Fousseni Tougela, president of the Mali Chamber of Mines. Tougela shared the figures on October 15 during African Mining Week in Cape Town, South Africa, as the country continues efforts to restore its mining permit administration.

The latest approvals follow a suspension that began in November 2022, when the government halted permit procedures to review how mining titles were managed. Mali subsequently introduced a new Mining Code in 2023, but restrictions on licensing continued while authorities worked to revise the system.

In March 2025, the government reopened part of the process, allowing applications to renew existing exploration and mining permits and to convert exploration licences into mining licences. Applications for new mining titles and transfers of exploration permits remained on hold.

The government has since taken further steps to process outstanding applications. Ten gold and lithium exploration permits were renewed in late August 2026, followed by additional approvals at a Council of Ministers meeting on September 30.

Administrative changes have accompanied the permit renewals. Mali introduced a new mining cadastre in April 2026, designed to improve the management and transparency of mining titles. The system is intended to address weaknesses in the previous framework and provide a more reliable basis for administering exploration and mining rights.

The September 30 meeting also announced the creation of the Agence pour la Recherche et le Développement des Ressources minérales, a state agency focused on mineral resources research and development. Tougela expects the agency to help open up additional exploration areas and increase the number of permits issued to international partners. The government has not yet provided detailed information on the agency’s operating arrangements or funding.

Exploration Investment Remains a Key Test

The pace of permit approvals will be important to companies seeking to advance exploration programmes and develop new mines. Renewals allow existing projects to move forward, although companies still need to meet the regulatory requirements for progressing from exploration to production.

Cora Gold’s Sanankoro II project illustrates this process. The company received renewal of its exploration permit in August 2026 and is pursuing the mining licence needed to develop its proposed $124 million gold mine.

The renewed permits come against a difficult backdrop for exploration investment. S&P Global reported that spending on exploration in Mali declined for a third consecutive year in 2025. Mali recorded the steepest drop in Africa, ahead of Madagascar and Namibia.

Reversing that trend will require more than clearing permit applications. Mining companies must be able to plan exploration programmes, assess deposits and determine whether projects can attract the investment needed for development. The handling of new applications will also influence how readily companies can pursue opportunities beyond existing permit areas.

Mali Faces Pressure to Develop New Deposits

Gold is central to Mali’s mining industry, making the discovery and development of new deposits important to its longer-term production outlook. Exploration gives companies the opportunity to identify resources that could support future mines, but discoveries take time and investment to translate into production.

A government projection reported by Reuters in July points to the challenge ahead. Mali’s gold reserves were expected to decline from 906.8 tonnes in 2026 to 748.6 tonnes in 2029, according to the report. The projection adds urgency to efforts to identify and develop additional deposits, although exploration success will depend on the geology of individual areas and the capital available to companies.

The processing of 21 permits marks progress in restoring Mali’s licensing system, but its effect on the wider mining sector will depend on what follows. Renewed permits need to translate into fieldwork, further exploration results and, where deposits prove commercially viable, development plans.

The next test will be whether authorities ease the remaining restrictions on new mining titles and transfers of exploration permits. That would determine how far the recent progress extends beyond existing projects and whether companies gain greater scope to pursue new exploration opportunities in Mali.