Rare earth hunt leads to frontier Africa

 Africa, Australia and Canada likely hold the key to a geopolitical battle being fought to end China's stranglehold over obscure elements used to build high-tech items from headphones to missiles.

The three are the most likely home to vast reserves of rare earth elements. The commodities are almost exclusively produced by China, which unnerved global powers last year by threatening to restrict exports to help it settle political scores.

While all three have promise, Africa may offer the most potential, with geologists saying it has more than half the world's deposits of carbonatites, a type of rock formation seen as prime hunting ground for rare earths.

"That immediately makes Africa a destination of choice if you want to find rare earth elements in carbonatites," said Paul Nex, senior geologist at Umbono Capital.