Africa’s Critical Minerals Race Accelerates as Global Demand Surges

Africa is rapidly emerging as a central player in the global race for critical minerals, as demand for resources essential to the energy transition continues to surge.

Minerals such as lithium, cobalt, graphite, and rare earth elements are critical for the production of electric vehicles, batteries, and renewable energy technologies. The continent holds a significant share of global reserves, including over 70% of the world’s cobalt, largely concentrated in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Countries such as Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Mali are ramping up lithium exploration and production, attracting growing interest from international mining companies and investors seeking to secure supply chains.

At the same time, governments are increasingly prioritising local beneficiation policies to ensure that more value is retained within their economies. Export restrictions on raw minerals and incentives for processing are becoming more common across the continent.

However, infrastructure gaps, regulatory uncertainty, and geopolitical competition remain key challenges.

Africa’s role in the global energy transition is set to expand, but long-term success will depend on balancing investment attraction with sustainable resource governance.