Morocco has climbed to 15th place in the Fraser Institute Annual Survey of Mining Companies 2025 and stands as one of Africa’s top mining investment destinations.
The survey looked at 68 mining regions around the world, including 14 in Africa. It is based on feedback from 256 mining and exploration companies. The ranking combines two main factors: how rich a country is in minerals and how investors view its government policies.
Morocco scored 78.97 out of 100. That is 4.27 points higher than last year. It is now the second most attractive mining destination in Africa, behind Botswana, which recently entered the global top 10.
A key reason for Morocco’s improvement is its shift towards cleaner phosphate production, led by a $13bn green investment plan from OCP Group.
The plan aims to raise fertiliser production to 20 million tonnes by 2027 and reach carbon neutrality.
Several projects support this goal. Mining sites are using more wind and solar energy under Morocco’s green hydrogen programme. A large desalination plant in Jorf Lasfar helps supply water without putting pressure on local communities. The expansion of the Mzinda and Meskala sites has also increased production capacity and reassured investors.
Phosphate remains the backbone of Morocco’s mining sector. But the country is also developing other minerals that are important for electric cars and renewable energy, including cobalt, copper and lithium.
Managem Group is expanding the Tizert project, which is expected to become a major copper site. The National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines has also found promising gold and silver deposits in the Drâa-Tafilalet region.
Some investors, however, pointed to concerns about the quality of geological data and how quickly the legal system works. Improving these areas could help Morocco rise even further in future rankings.
Across Africa, Botswana remains the top-ranked country for mining investment, followed by Morocco, Zambia, Tanzania and Côte d’Ivoire.
