Über die Gewinnung hinaus: Afrikas strategischer Einfluss im Zusammenhang zwischen der EU und den BRICS-Staaten im Bereich kritischer Mineralien

This research paper examines the strategic role of BRICS+ members, particularly African nations, in the global critical minerals market and their evolving relationships with the European Union. It analyzes how the expansion of BRICS+ enhances the bloc's control over essential resources for the green and digital transitions while highlighting internal geopolitical frictions that prevent a unified minerals strategy.

• The expansion of BRICS to BRICS+ has significantly increased the group's control over global energy and mineral resources. The bloc now accounts for 43.1% of global oil production, 44% of oil reserves, 35.5% of global gas production, and 53% of gas reserves. In terms of critical minerals, BRICS+ controls 72% of the world's rare earths, 75% of manganese, 50% of graphite, 28% of nickel, and 10% of copper (excluding Iran's reserves).
• Despite its resource dominance, BRICS+ lacks a unified policy framework for critical minerals due to internal rivalries and the absence of a formal treaty. Geopolitical competition exists between members such as China and India, Iran and Saudi Arabia, and Egypt and Ethiopia. Consequently, the group functions as a flexible platform for selective bilateral cooperation rather than a coordinated bloc.
• African BRICS+ members—South Africa, Egypt, and Ethiopia—possess significant mineral wealth but vary in their strategic maturity. South Africa is a leading producer of PGMs, manganese, chromium, gold, and coal, and launched a Critical Minerals and Metals Strategy in 2025. In contrast, Egypt and Ethiopia have only recently begun prioritizing their mineral potential to attract investment through macroeconomic reforms.
• The European Union maintains a high dependency on BRICS+ countries for critical raw materials. Specifically, China provides 98% of the EU's supply of rare earth elements (REEs), while South Africa provides 71% of the EU's platinum needs and an even higher percentage of iridium, rhodium, and ruthenium.
• The concept of 'criticality' is interpreted differently by global powers: the US and EU define minerals as critical based on economic importance and scarcity (import dependence), whereas China views minerals as critical when they are abundant domestically and can be used to strengthen global market dominance.
• The EU is shifting toward bilateral partnerships with individual BRICS+ members to secure supply chains. A notable example is the November 2025 Memorandum of Understanding between the EU and South Africa to establish a strategic partnership for sustainable minerals and metals value chains.
• A comprehensive BRICS+-EU cooperation mechanism for critical raw materials is estimated to be at least a decade away. The most probable path forward is lower-level engagement via ministerial task-teams and private companies, potentially using the G20 Critical Minerals Framework as a non-binding blueprint.

APA

Ndzendze, B. (2025). Über die Gewinnung hinaus: Afrikas strategischer Einfluss im Zusammenhang zwischen der EU und den BRICS-Staaten im Bereich kritischer Mineralien. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/de/uber-die-gewinnung-hinaus-afrikas-strategischer-einfluss-im-zusammenhang-zwischen-der-eu-und-den-brics-staaten-im-bereich-kritischer-mineralien-en

Chicago

Ndzendze, Bhaso. Über die Gewinnung hinaus: Afrikas strategischer Einfluss im Zusammenhang zwischen der EU und den BRICS-Staaten im Bereich kritischer Mineralien. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2025. https://afripoli.org/de/uber-die-gewinnung-hinaus-afrikas-strategischer-einfluss-im-zusammenhang-zwischen-der-eu-und-den-brics-staaten-im-bereich-kritischer-mineralien-en.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ndzendze |first1=Bhaso |title=Über die Gewinnung hinaus: Afrikas strategischer Einfluss im Zusammenhang zwischen der EU und den BRICS-Staaten im Bereich kritischer Mineralien |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=15 December 2025 |url=https://afripoli.org/de/uber-die-gewinnung-hinaus-afrikas-strategischer-einfluss-im-zusammenhang-zwischen-der-eu-und-den-brics-staaten-im-bereich-kritischer-mineralien-en |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ndzendze2025ber, author = {Ndzendze, Bhaso}, title = {{Über die Gewinnung hinaus: Afrikas strategischer Einfluss im Zusammenhang zwischen der EU und den BRICS-Staaten im Bereich kritischer Mineralien}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2025}, month = dec, url = {https://afripoli.org/de/uber-die-gewinnung-hinaus-afrikas-strategischer-einfluss-im-zusammenhang-zwischen-der-eu-und-den-brics-staaten-im-bereich-kritischer-mineralien-en}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }