The 3rd Africa Critical Minerals Summit was recently held in Johannesburg, South Africa. Nearly a thousand industry professionals, policymakers, investors, and researchers gathered under the theme “The True Value of Africa’s Critical Minerals” to discuss topics such as industry policy coordination, regional cooperation, and technology empowerment. This summit aims to enhance Africa’s position in the global critical minerals supply chain, accelerate the transition of African nations from being mere “raw material exporters” of critical minerals to becoming “regional processing hubs,” and create a platform for sustainable economic growth and improved livelihoods in Africa.

　　According to statistics, Africa’s proven reserves of critical minerals account for approximately 30% of the global total, giving the continent a significant edge in strategic mineral sectors such as cobalt, platinum-group metals, lithium, and manganese. At the same time, practical challenges—including limited exploration capabilities, weak local processing capacities, and inadequate infrastructure and funding—continue to hinder the development of Africa’s critical minerals sector. In response to these challenges, African countries and regional organizations have recently incorporated the development of the critical minerals industry into their overarching strategic plans: At the end of 2024, the African Union officially released the “Africa Green Minerals Strategy,” clearly outlining four key pillars: mineral resource development, capacity-building in human resources and technology, local value addition, and mineral governance. The strategy aims to systematically transform Africa’s资源优势 into a core driving force for industrialization, economic diversification, and green transformation through comprehensive planning. In May of this year, the South African government unveiled its “Critical Minerals and Metals Strategy,” integrating the critical minerals industry into the country’s national industrialization blueprint. The strategy calls for enhanced collaboration with regional mechanisms such as the Southern African Development Community and the African Continental Free Trade Area, promoting the sharing of geological data and the interconnection of infrastructure. At the same time, South Africa is actively advocating for the inclusion of local value-addition issues related to Africa’s critical minerals on the agenda of G20 meetings, seeking global support and cooperation.

　　“If the processing system and industrial chain are further developed, Africa could see an additional economic output of tens of billions of dollars each year and create millions of new jobs,” said Kgositsile Mene, Director of the Processing Economy Division at South Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources and Petroleum. “Africa should not merely remain a supplier of raw materials; it must also become a key industrial hub in the era of new energy.” Currently, many African countries are accelerating the digital and automated transformation of their critical mineral sectors to enhance mining exploration efficiency and reduce production costs. For example, South Africa’s Impala Platinum uses digital twins and remote control systems to optimize the extraction and transportation of platinum-group metals; some mining companies in the Democratic Republic of Congo have adopted blockchain technology to achieve transparent management across the entire mineral supply chain; and Ghana has launched a digital licensing system to significantly shorten approval times. “Digitalization and intelligent technologies are boosting efficiency in Africa’s mineral sector,” noted Milka Madahana, a scholar at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. “However, challenges remain in terms of technological accessibility and infrastructure gaps. To address these issues, we need to deepen regional cooperation and establish processing centers and technology platforms.”

　　China continues to support the development of local value chains for critical minerals in Africa. The “Forum on China-Africa Cooperation—Beijing Action Plan (2025–2027),” adopted at the 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, explicitly commits to supporting the development of local value chains in Africa, the advancement of manufacturing industries, and the deep processing of critical minerals, thereby providing a solid policy foundation for enhanced cooperation between the two sides in the field of critical minerals. Chinese enterprises, together with their Congolese partners, have jointly built cobalt and copper smelting facilities, enabling advanced mineral processing. The DingSen Integrated Steel Industrial Park, invested in by Chinese companies, has helped Zimbabwe become an exporter of steel products. Huawei’s smart mining solutions have boosted efficiency and safety at mining sites in Botswana... Claude Kabumba, Executive Director of the Southern Africa Resource Watch Institute in South Africa, noted that Chinese enterprises, through investments in establishing factories and industrial parks, are helping African countries build capabilities for the smelting and refining of critical minerals, keeping profits and employment opportunities within Africa. At the same time, China boasts extensive experience in digital technologies, and both sides are encouraged to further strengthen cooperation in the digital transformation of critical minerals, helping Africa turn its critical mineral resources into drivers for industrialization and sustainable development.