The Argentine government has secured a multi-million-dollar investment from Africa-based Maser Group for the development of copper projects in Mendoza province, marking one of the most significant foreign commitments to the country’s mining sector in recent years.
Prateek Suri, the billionaire chief executive of Maser Group, finalised the commitment following high-level meetings with Argentina’s Minister of Mines and Energy, Jimena Latorre. The deal is backed by a long-term industrial incentives package designed to provide fiscal stability across mining, energy and logistics — a key assurance for investors wary of Argentina’s volatile economic climate.
Government officials say the investment positions Mendoza on the global mining map and accelerates efforts to bring one of the world’s largest undeveloped copper reserves into the clean-energy supply chain. Argentina holds an estimated 75 million tonnes of copper reserves — the sixth-largest total globally — but currently produces negligible volumes.
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As part of the agreement, Latorre appointed Suri as a trustee in the newly established Mining Trust, a governance framework tasked with enforcing environmental, social and governance standards and ensuring profits are reinvested into local communities. The role is considered unusual for a foreign investor and is seen as an important political guarantee for long-term project stability in a province where mining development has historically faced resistance.
“The Maser Group investment is less about the immediate capital and more about the signal it sends to the market,” said a mining consultant familiar with the negotiations. “Securing a prominent, multi-sector investor like Suri provides validation that the government’s guarantees can hold. That is a prerequisite for the next wave of capital from Asia and the Gulf.”
Maser Group has previously executed multi-billion-dollar industrial projects across Africa, and analysts say its entry into Mendoza represents a notable example of South–South investment cooperation, linking African finance and technical expertise with Latin American natural resources.
Suri is expected to return to Argentina for site inspections and meetings with local partners and communities. Officials believe Maser Group’s arrival could pave the way for further international investment. If successful, the anchor project could strengthen Argentina’s bid to become a reliable supplier of critical minerals as global demand for electric vehicles, renewable energy systems and digital infrastructure continues to rise.
