Rwanda’s mining and quarrying sector posted a strong recovery in the first quarter of 2026, growing by 20 per cent after a 1 per cent contraction in the same period last year.

The rebound has been underpinned by rising international demand for critical minerals such as gold, lithium, tin, tantalum and tungsten — key inputs in electric vehicle batteries, renewable energy systems, semiconductors and electronics manufacturing.

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According to the Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board (RMB), favourable global market conditions, particularly record-high prices for strategic minerals, played a central role in the sector’s performance.

"The 20 percent growth in the mining and quarrying sector is primarily fuelled by strong global demand and high prices for minerals like gold, lithium and the 3Ts,” the board said in a written response to The New Times.

The impact of the price rally has been most visible in export performance. Traditional exports, including minerals, nearly doubled in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year, reflecting both stronger demand and higher commodity prices on international markets.

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Industry players say the surge has significantly improved production incentives across mining operations.

Innocent Kagenga, Chairperson of the Rwanda Mining Association, said prices across key minerals have reached unprecedented levels, reshaping production decisions for local miners.

"Tungsten prices have increased dramatically over the past year, tantalum has nearly tripled, while cassiterite has roughly doubled. When prices rise at this pace, miners naturally increase output and invest more in equipment and labour,” he said.

Gold has also benefited from the global rally, further strengthening Rwanda’s export earnings.

Tungsten has emerged as a standout driver of the sector’s momentum. Kagenga noted that the sharp rise in prices has placed Rwanda in a stronger position within global supply chains, particularly as demand intensifies in defence and high-tech manufacturing industries.

On June 17, Trinity Metals announced that exports from its Nyakabingo Tungsten Mine now account for up to 20 percent of monthly United States consumption of primary tungsten concentrate.

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Beyond global price dynamics, stakeholders point to structural reforms as a key pillar of the sector’s recovery.

According to RMB, the performance is also the result of long-term government reforms that have modernised the industry.

Such reforms include mechanisation to double extraction efficiency, targeted exploration for high-value minerals, and establishment of local processing facilities and a significant increase in investment within the sector.

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Taken together, the reforms have helped shift mining activities from largely artisanal to more organised, technology-driven operations, allowing firms to extract and process minerals more efficiently.

Kagenga said improved efficiency, combined with new mining licences issued in recent years, has expanded production capacity and encouraged greater investment across the industry.

"New minerals have been discovered in recent years, such as beryl and lithium, whose demand has continued to rise,” he said, pointing to their role in clean energy technologies and battery production.