A Moment of Strategic Visibility for the Continent
As Johannesburg hosted the G20 for the first time, African leaders seized the global spotlight to reposition the continent as a decisive force in the critical-minerals economy. The message delivered throughout the summit was direct: Africa holds roughly 30% of the world’s known reserves of key transition minerals, and its role must extend far beyond supplying raw ore. The G20 platform offered a rare opportunity to articulate a new narrative—one in which African states pursue industrial upgrading, stronger negotiating power, and a more central place in global economic planning.
From Extraction to Regional Industrial Ambition
Across multiple sessions, African governments emphasized coordinated plans to expand refining, metal processing, and battery-material manufacturing. Proposals ranged from harmonizing mining codes to developing mineral corridors linking the DRC, Zambia, Mozambique, and South Africa, along with new energy infrastructure to support mid-stream industries. The ambition is not symbolic: several countries outlined concrete timelines for building precursor materials plants, rare earth separation facilities, and cross-border logistics hubs. The underlying logic is clear—if Africa can move up the value chain, it can capture more revenue, generate skilled jobs, and reduce its vulnerability to global price swings.
Why This Matters for Global Economic Stability
Africa’s push to become a mineral powerhouse carries implications well beyond the continent. As demand for cobalt, copper, graphite, manganese, and rare earths accelerates, the world cannot meet energy-transition targets without African resources or African cooperation. A more industrially capable Africa strengthens the resilience of global supply chains, reduces overdependence on a handful of processors, and introduces new competitive dynamics that can stabilize prices. By using the G20 to project a unified vision, African states signaled that they intend not just to supply the minerals of the future—but to shape the rules, value flows, and economic outcomes that surround them.