A Battery Industry in the Central African Copperbelt: Regional and Geopolitical Dimensions

This research paper examines the efforts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Zambia to establish a regional battery industry by leveraging their copper and cobalt resources. It analyzes the geopolitical competition between the USA, China, and the EU for critical minerals, the historical shift from nationalized to privatized mining, and the governance challenges hindering local value addition.

• Since 2021, the DRC and Zambia have worked to establish a regional battery value chain to move away from being primarily extractive economies. This initiative is driven by global demand for minerals like cobalt, nickel, manganese, and lithium for electric vehicles and renewable energy.
• The region is a focal point of geopolitical competition, particularly between China and the USA. China has increased mining investments since the early 2000s and is currently the leading global processor of cobalt. In response, the USA joined the DRC and Zambia's battery industry efforts in December 2022, while the EU has signed critical mineral partnerships with Angola, DRC, and Zambia.
• Mining in the DRC and Zambia has transitioned from colonial-era companies to nationalization in the 1960s, and finally to privatization by the late 1990s due to financial distress and IMF/World Bank liberalization policies. This has led to a heavy reliance on foreign direct investment and concerns over resource rent distribution.
• Significant obstacles to industrialization include limited mineral processing and refining capacity, meaning most wealth is exported raw. While Zambia plans to start electric vehicle battery production in 2024 in partnership with China, the region still requires substantial infrastructure investment and technical expertise.
• Governance remains a critical issue, characterized by the loss of state control over resources through the privatization of entities like Gécamines and ZCCM, as well as challenges regarding child labor and environmental degradation in artisanal and small-scale mining.

APA

Mususa, P., & Lutandula, M. S. (2024). A Battery Industry in the Central African Copperbelt: Regional and Geopolitical Dimensions. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/a-battery-industry-in-the-central-african-copperbelt-regional-and-geopolitical-dimensions

Chicago

Mususa, Patience, and Michel Shengo Lutandula. A Battery Industry in the Central African Copperbelt: Regional and Geopolitical Dimensions. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2024. https://afripoli.org/a-battery-industry-in-the-central-african-copperbelt-regional-and-geopolitical-dimensions.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mususa |first1=Patience |last2=Lutandula |first2=Michel Shengo |title=A Battery Industry in the Central African Copperbelt: Regional and Geopolitical Dimensions |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=11 October 2024 |url=https://afripoli.org/a-battery-industry-in-the-central-african-copperbelt-regional-and-geopolitical-dimensions |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mususa2024battery, author = {Mususa, Patience and Lutandula, Michel Shengo}, title = {{A Battery Industry in the Central African Copperbelt: Regional and Geopolitical Dimensions}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2024}, month = oct, url = {https://afripoli.org/a-battery-industry-in-the-central-african-copperbelt-regional-and-geopolitical-dimensions}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }