Insights
Discover our expert insights and in-depth analysis on Africa’s critical minerals and sustainable development
What Does Trump 2.0 Mean for the Development of Critical Mineral Value Chains Across Africa?
17 January 2025
Author: Olimpia Pilch, Chief Strategy Officer, Critical Minerals Africa Group
The return of Donald Trump to the White House has been the subject of much speculation. What will happen to critical mineral projects? Aid budgets? The Lobito Corridor? Some have decried Trump’s return as disastrous for the continent, but is that really the case?
South Africa’s G20 push for local processing of transition minerals faces barriers
17 February 2025
Will minerals giant China sign up to a plan to help resource-rich developing countries build their own value chains and generate more wealth?
As chair of the Group of 20 (G20) nations this year, South Africa wants to secure agreement for more local processing of the metals and minerals critical to the clean energy transition, with many mined in large quantities in the Global South – but it will first need to win support from dominant player China.
From geological data to policy, Africa still has big critical-minerals gaps to close
30 May 2025
As the world shifts towards a low-carbon future in response to unrelenting climate change, demand is surging for minerals essential to this transition, many of which are found in abundance across Africa, which boasts an estimated one-third of the reserves. But growing attention is turning to a critical question: Can the continent turn this natural wealth into a lever for its own development, while securing its place as a key supplier to global markets?
Miners struggle to raise capital for African critical minerals projects
14 February 2025
A growing range of financing solutions are coming into play, but the sector still lacks capital despite global interest in Africa’s minerals.
The global energy transition depends on a revolution in mining. Technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines and electric vehicle batteries require a diverse set of minerals, many of which are only just starting to be mined in large volumes. These ‘critical minerals’ will also play a key role in defence technologies of various kinds, meaning that control of their supply chains is of crucial strategic importance to global powers.
Could Africa establish a critical minerals-backed currency?
5 June 2025
Africa holds approximately 30% of the world’s critical mineral reserves, making the continent indispensable to green industrialisation and the global energy transition.
However, beyond being a major supplier, Africa has yet to establish a strong value chain to reap the benefits of this mineral wealth for itself. Less than 5% of its critical minerals are domestically processed as most value addition occurs abroad, especially in China, which dominates the refining industry.
To address this disparity, there are growing calls for collaboration between African countries and their respective mining industries.