The global supply chain is being reshaped, with Africa increasingly at its epicentre.
Holding 30% of the world’s proven critical mineral reserves, the continent is a significant engine for the global energy transition. For senior supply chain executives, long-term resource security is an urgent priority.
With global mineral demand projected to increase four-fold by 2050, the focus is increasingly on converting Africa’s vast geological potential into stable, investable value chains.
Against this backdrop, Energy Capital & Power’s African Mining Week 2026, being held this October in Cape Town under the theme Mining the Future: Unearthing Africa’s Full Mineral Value, serves is a forum for the partnerships needed to secure these vital industrial pipelines.
Shifting from volume-led growth to value-chain depth
Historically, Africa’s mining landscape was defined by the export of raw ores, but a regional shift toward downstream beneficiation is redrawing the map. Supply chain leaders must now account for a continent that is prioritising local processing to retain economic value. This transition is evident in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which accounts for roughly 70% of the world’s cobalt. By partnering with the United States to leverage technical expertise and financing, the DRC aims to unlock an estimated $24 trillion in untapped mineral potential. Louis Watum Kabamba, the DRC’s Minister of Mines, recently underscored the scale of this frontier, stating: “Opportunities across the mining sector in the DRC are huge, with 90% of our resources awaiting greenfield exploration.”
Strategic timelines for african mineral development
The current trajectory of the African mining sector is defined by several key milestones:
- 2025: Gold prices hit record highs, prompting new refinery projects in Ghana and Mali
- October 2026: African Mining Week convenes in Cape Town to facilitate cross-border mineral transactions
- January 2027: Zimbabwe’s ban on lithium concentrate exports takes effect, forcing domestic processing
- 2031: Zambia’s production target of 3.1 million tons of copper per annum scheduled for completion
- 2040: Target for Guinea’s Simandou 2040 strategy to fully integrate iron ore and bauxite value chains.
Infrastructure and international investment in Guinea and Zambia
Resource security in 2026 is increasingly dependent on the partnership model.
Guinea, home to the world’s largest bauxite reserves, is enhancing cooperation with global investors under the Simandou 2040 strategy. By securing US$20bn in international investments for the Simandou iron ore project, Guinea has already seen a 25% increase in bauxite exports.
Simultaneously, Zambia – Africa’s second-largest copper producer – is increasingly at the centre of the future copper supply chain.
The country is actively engaging international investors to triple its output to 3.1 million tons per annum by 2031, a move that provides essential feedstock for the global electrification and robotics industries.
Local beneficiation as a supply chain safeguard
African governments are increasingly using policy tools to force the development of domestic processing hubs.
Zimbabwe, the continent’s largest lithium producer, is collaborating with Chinese investors to expand processing capacity ahead of its 2027 export ban on lithium concentrate.
Ghana has recently signed an agreement with South Africa’s Rand Refinery to expand domestic gold processing, while Mali is developing a 200-ton-per-year gold refinery with international support.
For supply chain strategists, these “at-source” beneficiation projects reduce the logistics risks associated with shipping raw materials and align with global ESG mandates for more transparent and ethical mineral sourcing.
By – https://supplychaindigital.com/news/how-the-rise-of-african-mining-is-changing-supply-chains