How African Mining Holds the Key to Global Economic Security

Africa holds 30% of the world’s critical mineral reserves, a statistic that positions the continent at the centre of the global energy transition and the ongoing realignment of industrial supply chains.

With global mineral demand projected to increase four-fold by 2050, Africa’s geological wealth is a cornerstone of international economic security.

It is within this high-stakes context that Energy Capital & Power's African Mining Week (AMW) 2026, scheduled for October in Cape Town, emerges as a vital platform for converting raw potential into bankable projects and integrated value chains.

Geopolitics of the energy transition

The continent’s landscape contains a plethora of minerals essential for electrification and clean energy deployment, including cobalt, platinum group metals (PGMs), chrome, coltan and manganese.

As commodity prices remain elevated through 2026, Africa’s role as a strategic supply partner has become more pronounced.

For senior executives, the challenge is moving beyond volume-led growth to capture greater value through sophisticated processing and trade. This necessitates a shift in strategy, focusing on how African producers can integrate into the global market not as exporters of ores and as partners in industrial expansion.

All sustainability, net zero and sustainable supply chain leaders should attend:

• Sustainability LIVE: The Net Zero Summit - QEII Centre, London, March 4-5
• Sustainability LIVE: The US Summit - Navy Pier, Chicago, April 21-22

Co-located with Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE, these events brings together CSOs, ESG leaders and senior decision-makers at a moment when sustainability, supply chains and commercial performance are increasingly interconnected.

Tickets can be booked online today for The Net Zero Summit and The US Summit. Group discounts available.

Shifting from volume to value capture

Regional landscapes are shifting rapidly as producers scale up through international partnerships to secure capital and technical expertise.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), currently Africa’s largest copper producer and the world’s leading cobalt supplier, has recently solidified a partnership with the US to unlock billions of dollars in untapped mineral potential.

Speaking about the scale of this opportunity, the DRC’s Minister of Mines, Louis Watum Kabamba, said: “Opportunities across the mining sector in the DRC are huge, with 90% of our resources awaiting greenfield exploration.”

Unlocking greenfield potential in the DRC

Similarly, Guinea – home to the world’s largest bauxite reserves – is leveraging the "Simandou 2040" strategy to maximise its mineral value chain.

By securing US$20bn in international investments for the Simandou iron ore project, Guinea has established a global partnership model that produced a 25% increase in bauxite exports in 2025.

Meanwhile, Zambia, Africa’s second-largest copper producer, is aggressively engaging international investors to meet a 2031 production target of 3.1 million tons per annum. This target reinforces Zambia’s ambition to act as a primary catalyst for regional GDP growth and employment through the copper sector.

Zambian copper as a growth catalyst

As global competition for these resources intensifies, African governments are increasingly prioritising local collaboration to retain value and deepen domestic supply chains.

Ghana, the continent's largest gold producer, has signed an agreement with South Africa’s Rand Refinery to expand domestic processing capacity.

This and other moves signals a continental shift from export-centred development models to strategies that favour domestic market growth.

Zimbabwe, the largest lithium producer in Africa, is also expanding processing capacity with Chinese investors ahead of a 2027 ban on lithium concentrate exports.

The rise of domestic mineral beneficiation

The long-term position of Africa in global supply chains will be defined by its ability to align production growth with policy coherence and investment readiness.

The upcoming African Mining Week 2026 is designed to address these requirements by bringing together the architects of the continent's mining future.

Rachelle Kasongo, Event Director of AMW, said: “AMW 2026 is designed to bring project developers, governments and international investors into the same room to accelerate transactions that move Africa’s mining sector from potential to production and value creation.”