Despite this potential, Africa’s mining industry represents a largely untapped investment opportunity, and as such, many resource-rich nations across the continent are seeking capital and technology investments to unlock the full potential of their resources while fueling production growth.

A series of country spotlight sessions at the upcoming Critical Minerals Africa (CMA) Summit will provide in-depth insights into the respective mineral reserves, regulatory frameworks and current and planned mining activities across Africa’s most promising markets. Sessions on Angola, South Sudan, the DRC, Tanzania and more will provide potential investors with the information they need to make informed decisions, laying the foundation for deals and newfound partnerships.

The Critical Minerals Africa 2024 summit on November 6 - 7 serves to position Africa as the primary investment destination for critical minerals. The event is held alongside the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energy 2024 conference on November 4 - 8, offering delegates access to the full scope of energy, mining and finance leaders in Cape Town. Sponsors, exhibitors and delegates can learn more by contacting [email protected]

Many African countries have set ambitious production goals across their mining industries. Zambia, the world's second-largest copper producer, aims to reach an annual output of 3 million tons of copper by 2030 while Zimbabwe, Africa's leading lithium producer, seeks to establish a $12 billion economy from its critical mineral profits, including lithium. South Africa also aims to boost domestic mining activities and investments, particularly across its PGM industry. The country contributed up to 73% of new platinum, 38% of palladium and 81% of rhodium to the global market in 2023, highlighting the scale and future potential of the market. During CMA 2024, the country spotlight sessions will connect global investors to these markets, charting the best way forward to advance the industry and drive output.

To achieve production goals, African countries have turned to regulatory reform and policy implementation to attract investors and project developers to invest. Countries like Zimbabwe, Mali, Ghana and Tanzania, for example, have introduced new legislation to ban the export of raw lithium, leading to a surge in investments across the midstream and downstream sectors. In August 2024, Zimbabwe’s state-mining firm Kuvimba Mining signed a $310 million deal with UK and Chinese firms to construct a 3 million-ton-per-annum refinery at Sandawana mine in Mberengwa. The facility will join more than five refineries completed since 2023 to bolster the country’s lithium market.

Meanwhile, Zambia unveiled the National Mineral Resources Development Policy in November 2022, reducing taxes for mining investors and streamlining contracting processes. As a result, companies including Galileo Resources, Tertiary Minerals, First Quantum Minerals, Vedanta Resources, Jubilee Metals, Xtract Resources, Ivanhoe Mines and Arc Minerals launched new investments across the country’s copper and nickel value chain.

Stepping into this picture, the CMA country spotlights will provide unique insight into the market dynamics of Africa’s mineral producing markets. From regulatory reform and implementation to resource potential and projects to investment gaps and in-roads, the sessions support investment decisions by global mining and technology firms. Correspondingly, the sessions aim to provide greater clarity on national industry goals, serving as a strategic platform for countries to engage, sign deals and advance the development of critical mineral value chains in Africa.