Rare Earths in Angola: Huambo (Longonjo) Could Drive a New Generation of Jobs, from Cunene to Cabinda
Angola is entering one of the most strategic areas of the global mineral economy: the global race for rare earths. In Huambo province, in the municipality of Longonjo, lies one of the most promising projects on the African continent, led by the British company Pensana. More than just a mine, Longonjo could become a starting point for a new generation of skilled employment in Angola — with effects that, directly or indirectly, could reach practically every province in the country, from Cunene to Cabinda.
A project with international scale
The Longonjo deposit is located around 60 kilometres from the city of Huambo, alongside the Lobito Corridor, the railway infrastructure linking the mining interior to the Port of Lobito. According to data released by Pensana, the reserves already defined exceed 21.5 million tonnes of ore, with an average concentration of 3.04% rare earth oxides — including around 139,457 tonnes of neodymium and praseodymium oxide (NdPr), essential for high-performance permanent magnets. The mine's estimated lifespan exceeds 20 years, with initial production expected in 2027.
The United States, through the DFC development finance agency, is supporting the project's development, as part of a broader strategy to reduce Western dependence on supply chains controlled by China.
Why rare earths matter to the world
Elements such as neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium have unique magnetic properties, essential for electric motors, wind turbines, industrial robotics, precision electronics, aviation systems and defence applications. It is this growing demand — linked to the energy transition and the technology industry — that makes Longonjo a geopolitical asset, not merely an economic one.
Huambo: from former agricultural heartland to new industrial hub
Huambo was historically one of Angola's major agricultural and railway centres, a position undermined by decades of war that destroyed infrastructure and reduced the province's productive capacity. The gradual reconstruction of roads, railways and energy supply has restored to the region a geographical advantage that Longonjo can now convert into an industrial one, through its direct link to the Port of Lobito.
The real potential: jobs, training and the value chain
Longonjo's most lasting impact may lie not only in the mine's direct jobs, but in everything that grows up around it.
Direct employment in Huambo
A mining operation of this scale requires geologists, mining engineers, laboratory technicians, environmental specialists, heavy machinery operators, electricians, mechanics, mineral processing technicians, industrial safety professionals and administrative staff.
Indirect employment in Huambo and surrounding areas
An ecosystem of small and medium-sized businesses typically grows up around a mine: food suppliers, staff and goods transport, civil construction, industrial maintenance, accommodation, cleaning, private security and technology services. It is this local business fabric that tends to generate the greatest number of jobs over time, often surpassing direct employment at the mine itself.
Knock-on effect along the Lobito Corridor
As production is shipped out via the railway to the Port of Lobito, the project is likely to boost employment along the entire corridor — in Benguela province, through increased port activity, logistics, railway maintenance and warehousing, and in the areas crossed by the railway line, including part of Bié.
Lunda Norte and Lunda Sul
These provinces already have an established mining culture, linked to diamonds. The accumulated experience in geology, mining safety, logistics and environmental management could be transferred to the rare earths sector, creating professional mobility opportunities for technicians and engineers already trained in this field.
Kwanza Sul and Kwanza Norte
With their industrial and agricultural traditions, these provinces could supply skilled labour for maintenance, raw material processing and logistical support, while also benefiting from strengthened road and rail links to the interior of the country.
Bié, Moxico and Cuando Cubango
Regions with strong agricultural potential that are still rebuilding their infrastructure could benefit indirectly by supplying food, seasonal labour and support services to mining communities, should regional integration policies be put in place.
Huíla, Namibe and Cunene
In the south of the country, rising demand for technical and higher education in geology, mining and engineering could encourage institutes and universities in these provinces to develop specific programmes, building a network of Angolan talent prepared for the mining industry — not just for Longonjo, but for future projects in southern Angola.
Malanje, Bengo and Luanda
The capital and neighbouring provinces tend to concentrate corporate management, financing, international logistics, and legal and commercial services linked to exports — as well as hosting a share of advanced university training in mining engineering and geology.
Zaire, Uíge and Cabinda
These provinces already have a historical relationship with extractive industries — oil, in the case of Cabinda and Zaire.
Local experience in managing large industrial projects, operational safety, community relations and environmental oversight could serve as an important reference for the responsible development of the rare earths sector in other regions of the country, as well as allowing Angolan technical staff to move between different extractive industries.
A national challenge: from unemployment to skills development
The national context makes this potential even more relevant. The National Institute of Statistics estimated unemployment at 30.4% in the fourth quarter of 2024, with young people aged 15 to 24 recording a rate of 54.4%.
A provincial rate of 16.1% for Huambo, published by the INE, refers to an earlier period and should not be confused with the province's current unemployment level.
These figures show the scale of the challenge — but also the scope for opportunity. If well planned, Longonjo's development could serve as a model for linking mining projects to national technical and vocational training programmes, with benefits extending well beyond Huambo's borders.
From exporting ore to creating value
The most important strategic decision for Angola is not merely to extract and export the ore, but to develop national capacity for separation, refining and processing.
Pensana is already working on a strategy for separation facilities, bringing Longonjo closer to an integrated "mine-to-magnet" chain.
Should this path be pursued, courses and research centres in geology, chemistry, metallurgy, mining engineering and materials technology could emerge, not only in Huambo but at universities across the country.
Transparency as a condition for success
None of this can be achieved without transparency, environmental oversight, community participation and a fair distribution of benefits.
The State will need to ensure that contracts, tax revenues, royalties and social obligations are properly monitored, along with the impacts on water, soil, agriculture and the communities neighbouring the mining area.
Longonjo could represent much more than a new mine: it could be the starting point for a modern industrial chain centred on Huambo, with multiplier effects that, if well managed, have the potential to reach every Angolan province — from Cunene to Cabinda.
The true wealth of this project will lie not just in the ore buried in the ground, but in Angola's capacity to turn that resource into knowledge, industry, employment and added value within the country itself.