Navigating Governance Challenges in African Critical Mineral Supply Chains

The document examines the governance challenges associated with the rising demand for critical minerals in Africa, highlighting the tension between developed nations' focus on supply security and African nations' goals for socio-economic development. It emphasizes that without responsible governance, the energy transition risks causing environmental harm and human rights violations. The author recommends the expedited implementation of the African Mining Vision (AMV) and calls for coordinated action among national governments, private sector companies, and civil society to ensure transparency and accountability.

• The International Energy Agency predicts that the shift toward renewable energy technologies will lead to an approximately fourfold increase in the demand for critical minerals—including lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, graphite, and rare earth elements—by 2030.
• Critical mineral extraction in Africa is frequently associated with corruption and governance failures; specifically, lithium mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, and Zimbabwe have been identified as being at high risk for environmental degradation, transnational corruption, and human rights violations.
• There is a fundamental tension in supply chain governance: developed countries primarily prioritize the security of supply, while African countries aim to use their mineral wealth to advance their position within the renewable energy supply chain.
• Despite various national and sector-led initiatives, there is currently no overarching international framework to coordinate policy action for critical mineral supply chains, leading to a confusing array of overlapping standards.
• The African Mining Vision (AMV), adopted by the African Union in 2009, serves as a key framework for sustainable resource development, but its implementation has been slow and is hindered by a lack of awareness among stakeholders.
• Mining companies have a business incentive to improve governance because demonstrating efforts to mitigate adverse impacts is necessary to establish and maintain a 'social licence to operate' within African host communities.

APA

JOSEPH, A. (2024). Navigating Governance Challenges in African Critical Mineral Supply Chains. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/SAIIA_PI_151_NavigatingGovernanceChallenges.pdf

Chicago

JOSEPH, ADRIAN. Navigating Governance Challenges in African Critical Mineral Supply Chains. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2024. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/SAIIA_PI_151_NavigatingGovernanceChallenges.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=JOSEPH |first1=ADRIAN |title=Navigating Governance Challenges in African Critical Mineral Supply Chains |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=May 2024 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/SAIIA_PI_151_NavigatingGovernanceChallenges.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{joseph2024navigating, author = {JOSEPH, ADRIAN}, title = {{Navigating Governance Challenges in African Critical Mineral Supply Chains}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2024}, month = may, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/SAIIA_PI_151_NavigatingGovernanceChallenges.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }