Tanzania has officially launched its first state-of-the-art copper processing facility in Chunya District, Mbeya Region. Operated by Mineral Access Systems Tanzania (MAST), the plant marks a major step toward reducing raw mineral exports and building a local refining industry.
The Chunya plant upgrades copper ore from as low as 0.5% purity to over 70%, using a leaching and cementation process. It can process over 31,000 tonnes monthly, with 4,000 tonnes coming directly from small-scale miners. The facility also provides local miners with training, financing, and a reliable market.
Over 250 jobs have been created, with more than half going to locals. MAST plans to build three more plants in Simanjiro, Ruvuma, and Dodoma—each expected to create 500 jobs and generate over $40 million annually.
This launch follows the government’s ban on unprocessed copper exports, a move aimed at strengthening Tanzania’s mining sector through domestic value addition. Backed by recent infrastructure projects like the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project and expanded transport links, the new plant helps position Tanzania as a future hub for regional copper refining.
