Africa: Africa's Mineral Strength Is Wasted If Countries Don't Work Together - New Report

What the report says

A new analysis published by The Conversation Africa and carried by AllAfrica argues that Africa’s mineral wealth could support the global shift to cleaner energy, but only if countries coordinate more closely. The piece says minerals needed for electric vehicles, batteries, solar panels, wind turbines and power grids are found across the continent, including cobalt, lithium, copper, manganese, graphite and rare earths. It notes that Africa holds major shares of some key reserves, such as platinum group metals, phosphate and cobalt, but that most individual countries still account for only a small portion of global supply.

The report, based on a study commissioned by the World Bank, says many African countries continue to export transition minerals in raw or lightly processed form instead of capturing more value through refining, component manufacturing or finished green technology products. It highlights that local processing is limited to a few countries, including South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and says this leaves the continent with a small role in higher-value parts of the green economy.

The authors argue that acting separately weakens African governments’ ability to attract large processing investments, shape trade terms or build integrated supply chains. They say stronger regional cooperation could help countries negotiate better, expand industrial activity and keep more jobs and income at home. The article also points to growing policy efforts such as export rules, state ownership stakes and cross-border partnerships, while cautioning that gaps in power supply, transport, finance and skills remain major obstacles.