How critical energy minerals could be Africa’s catalyst for sustainable development

Africa possesses significant reserves of minerals essential for the global energy transition, including lithium, cobalt, and copper. The author argues that by shifting from raw material exports to local beneficiation and processing, the continent can create up to 1 million jobs, increase annual export revenues by over $10 billion, and stimulate clean energy investment to meet Paris Agreement goals.

• Africa's reserves of critical energy minerals—including bauxite, chromium, cobalt, copper, graphite, lithium, manganese, and nickel—are essential for renewable energy systems, fuel cells, and electric vehicles. Global demand is expected to rise sharply, with BHP Billiton forecasting a 70% increase in copper demand by 2050 compared to 2020 levels.
• The author identifies a lack of value-add beneficiation (the treatment of raw materials to improve properties for smelting) as a key developmental challenge. Developing local industries to process these minerals into higher-value products could reduce dependence on raw exports and drive industrialization.
• Capturing a small share of the global battery manufacturing market could create between 500,000 and 1 million jobs in Africa. This shift toward domestic processing is estimated to increase electricity demand by up to 30%, which would necessitate and drive investments in grid expansion and clean energy generation, helping nations meet their Paris Agreement nationally determined contribution (NDC) goals.
• Strategic transition initiatives and the development of energy-efficient processing hubs via the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) could increase Africa's annual export revenues by more than $10 billion, improving fiscal resources and debt servicing.
• Specific minerals are linked to key regions and technologies: platinum group metals and chromium from South Africa and Zimbabwe are vital for green hydrogen and concentrated solar power; cobalt and manganese from the DRC and others are essential for lithium-ion batteries; and Guinea is the world's top producer of bauxite for aluminum.

APA

Ncube, M. (2025). How critical energy minerals could be Africa’s catalyst for sustainable development. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/critical-energy-minerals-africa-catalyst-sustainable-development/

Chicago

Ncube, Mthuli. How critical energy minerals could be Africa’s catalyst for sustainable development. World Economic Forum, 2025. https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/critical-energy-minerals-africa-catalyst-sustainable-development/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Ncube |first1=Mthuli |title=How critical energy minerals could be Africa’s catalyst for sustainable development |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=15 January 2025 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/critical-energy-minerals-africa-catalyst-sustainable-development/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{ncube2025how, author = {Ncube, Mthuli}, title = {{How critical energy minerals could be Africa’s catalyst for sustainable development}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/critical-energy-minerals-africa-catalyst-sustainable-development/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }