Roundtables Discussion Part III

The Critical Minerals Race

Africa is estimated to be home to 30% of the world’s total mineral reserves, and up to a fifth of the critical minerals needed to drive the green transition. Competition for access to these is rapidly scaling up, with billions of dollars being invested into exploration, production and value addition in the critical minerals space. 

In principle this represents a remarkable opportunity for African producers to leverage this boom for economic growth and development. 

A crucial element in ensuring such an outcome is to capture a greater share of the critical minerals value chain. This is now a priority for African mineral producers, with ambitious plans for local processing, and even manufacturing of batteries and EVs on the continent.

This session will critically explore the challenges African economies face in making sure that they are not cut out of the global race for the continent’s critical minerals.