The global race for critical minerals is entering a new phase.
No longer defined solely by access to mineral reserves, it is increasingly being shaped by industrial policy, geopolitical competition and the race to build resilient supply chains for electric vehicles, renewable energy technologies and advanced manufacturing.
For Africa, home to some of the world's richest deposits of lithium, cobalt, manganese, graphite, platinum group metals and rare earth elements, the opportunity extends far beyond extraction.
The continent's next competitive advantage will not be measured by the volume of minerals it exports, but by its ability to transform those resources into processing industries, manufacturing capacity and long-term economic growth.
Capturing that value requires a fundamental shift in thinking. Mining and manufacturing can no longer operate as separate industries. They must become part of the same industrial strategy, connecting mineral production with long-term demand, regional supply chains and value-added manufacturing.
