The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved $75 million to fund Nyanza Light Metals’s titanium dioxide pigment plant in South Africa. The facility, located in the Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone, will have an annual capacity of 80 000 tonnes and aims to reduce reliance on imports.

The financing includes $25 million from the Africa Growing Together Fund, co-financed with the People’s Bank of China, and is part of a syndicated package arranged by the Africa Finance Corporation and the African Export-Import Bank.

Titanium dioxide is widely used in paints, food, cosmetics, and medical products. AfDB and Nyanza officials say the project will drive local beneficiation of minerals, create jobs, and position Africa in the global titanium value chain, shifting the continent from exporting raw materials to producing high-value finished products.