significantly in the short to medium term.” Importantly, the country has the opportunity to develop its mining sector in a responsible and traceable way. For global customers, provenance matters. They need confidence that minerals are produced responsibly, that supply chains are transparent and that operations comply with international standards. Rwanda has the potential traceability, stability and a stronger industrial base. “Trinity is one of Rwanda’s largest private employers, with more than 6 000 employees, 98% of whom come from the local communities surrounding our three mines. We are proud to operate traceable, conflict-free mines while creating formal employment and investing in the skills, systems and infrastructure needed to build a sustainable, modern mining industry. Rwanda has the potential to become a major global supplier of technology metals, and Trinity is committed to playing a leading role in that journey,” concludes Geleta. n to combine geological endowment with
and stable jurisdiction, with a supportive regulatory framework. Rwanda is extremely well endowed in the minerals that are central to Trinity’s business. The country lies on the Kibaran Belt, a highly prospective geological setting that hosts tin, tungsten, tantalum, lithium and gold. This gives Rwanda a natural platform to become a more significant supplier
has led Trinity Metals to establish important commercial relationships with Western buyers with production from Nyakabingo mine accounting for up to 20% of America’s average monthly primary tungsten concentrate imports. Further to this, its tungsten concentrate is supplied to customers including Global Tungsten & Powders in the United States and Wolfram Bergbau und Hütten in Austria, while its tin concentrate is exported to UK owned Thaisarco in Thailand. “We also have a letter of intent from Nathan Trotter in the United States in relation to future tin supply,” says Geleta. In May 2024 Trinity became the first mining company in Africa to secure a Technical Assistance Grant of $US3.865 from the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). Rwanda’s growing mining sector According to Geleta, Rwanda’s mining sector is at an important stage of development. Historically, much of the industry was characterised by smaller-scale and artisanal activity, but the country is now moving towards a more professional, mechanised and internationally competitive mining sector. That transition is being supported by a stable operating environment, strong government engagement and a clear national ambition to increase the contribution of mining to economic growth, exports, employment and industrial development. Moreover, the country offers a safe
We have identified significant potential to increase tungsten and tin production, supported by investment in underground development, mechanisation and processing capacity.
of critical minerals to global markets.
“We have seen strong alignment
between our own ambition to build an international-standard critical minerals business and the Government of Rwanda’s broader objective to develop the sector. This alignment has been extremely important in enabling the transition towards larger scale mining, job creation and attracting long-term investment. The mining industry output has been steadily growing over the past five years, and mining now contributes 5-6% of Rwanda’s GDP. With several underdeveloped assets and with good exploration potential, we expect this contribution to grow
November 2026 | www.modernminingmagazine.co.za MODERN MINING 17
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