According to MiningWeekly, as the global transition to clean energy boosts demand for metals and minerals, African countries have decided to seize this opportunity by strengthening metallurgical processing and building high-value-added industries to drive their national economies.
　　On Wednesday, mining ministers from several countries explicitly expressed this idea while attending the African Critical Minerals Conference in Cape Town, the capital of South Africa.
　　Monica Chang’anamuno, Malawi’s Minister of Mining, pointed out that Africa has missed too many opportunities in the past simply by exporting raw materials. “We need to produce finished goods in Africa,” she stated clearly. As for Malawi, the country needs to collaborate with other nations to achieve this goal. For example, the metal ores mined in Malawi could be processed at refineries being built in Tanzania.
　　“We hope to create job opportunities for the people,” said Martin Gama Abucha, South Sudan’s Minister of Mining. “We need to increase value-added.”
　　Steven Kiruswa, Deputy Minister of Mining of Tanzania, revealed that the country is building refining plants for critical metals and minerals that are already being mined domestically and will soon be put into operation. The country already has one gold refinery. Nickel and graphite processing plants are also set to be constructed.
　　Tanzania has discovered a large nickel deposit, and graphite and rare-earth deposits have also been found in various regions. All three mines are still under construction.
　　He noted that building value chains for critical minerals requires establishing partnerships. Through these partnerships, downstream industries can develop, enabling African countries to become producers of finished goods as well. Africa needs to be confident and assured that it can leverage its own resources to develop local manufacturing.
　　Leon Godza, Director of Energy and Minerals at Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, revealed that the country is currently building a lithium salt processing plant. This plant is part of the country’s Mineral and Energy Industrial Park project, which, upon completion in 2025, will have an annual production capacity of 135,000 tons. The entire Mineral and Energy Industrial Park project requires a total investment of 13 billion U.S. dollars and includes the construction of two 300-megawatt power plants, as well as a graphite processing plant, a nickel-chrome alloy smelter, a coking coal plant, and a nickel sulfate plant.
　　Not all African countries can afford to build their own smelters or refineries, so regional cooperation is crucial, he said.
　　“The future of Africa’s critical minerals is incredibly bright,” Goldsack is convinced. “The key to Africa’s development is cooperation, cooperation, and cooperation.”