https://arab.news/j4fu5
North Africa is undergoing a quiet yet profound economic realignment. The region, traditionally a crossroads of civilizations, is swiftly repositioning itself as a central hub for the next chapter of global industry, fueled by the worldwide demand for critical minerals.
While sub-Saharan Africa dominates mineral production, accounting for 70 percent of the world’s cobalt and significant shares of platinum and manganese, North Africa’s power lies not in the volumes of its own reserves but in its unparalleled geographic and strategic positioning. It is an indispensable link between the mineral-rich south, the manufacturing and refining centers of Asia, and the insatiable consumer markets of Europe.
Africa today is no longer a silent partner in global trade and critical minerals dialogue but an assertive architect of the continent’s own resource destiny. The Democratic Republic of Congo’s export bans on raw cobalt, and Zimbabwe’s levies on unprocessed lithium, for instance, are some of the ways in which Africa is moving away from simple extraction to the creation of local value.
Such strategic moves create a wealth of opportunities for North Africa that are likely to be harnessed via sophisticated economic gateways already being built in the region. Thus, with an estimated $266 billion in critical mineral exports from Africa in 2024, and likely more than that in the future given accelerating demand, the logistical race to transport, process, and ship these resources is intensifying.
