As the world races toward a low-carbon, tech-driven future, Africa’s role in the global mineral supply chain is quickly moving from peripheral to pivotal. A newly released report, The African Special Mining Report 2025, underscores this shift, offering critical insights into the future of mining on the continent and the broader implications for sustainable development, investment, and energy transition.
Launched ahead of African Mining Week (AMW) 2025, the report is a joint effort by Energy Capital & Power (ECP) and global audit and advisory network Moore Global. It captures the depth and diversity of Africa’s mining sector at a crucial turning point—one where growing global demand for strategic minerals is intersecting with heightened scrutiny over environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards, regulatory complexity, and capital access.
At its core, the report makes one thing clear: Africa is not just a repository of raw materials, it is a critical partner in the world’s transition to clean energy and high-tech infrastructure. With minerals like copper, cobalt, lithium, graphite, and rare earths in high demand, African nations are finding themselves at the center of a new geopolitical and economic scramble for resources that will define the next industrial era.
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The African Special Mining Report goes beyond the surface-level analysis often found in traditional sector overviews. It dives into emerging investment trends, such as the resurgence of copper mining in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and the return of private equity to African mining ventures—a sign of growing risk tolerance among capital markets. It also identifies critical barriers, including persistent logistics bottlenecks that continue to impact offtake reliability and supply chain integrity.
What sets this report apart, however, is its rigorous focus on ESG and sustainability metrics. According to contributions from Moore Global’s renewables and mining advisors, ESG performance is no longer a compliance box—it’s becoming a monetizable asset that directly affects project feasibility, access to climate finance, and long-term investor appeal. The integration of renewables into mining operations, particularly solar and wind solutions for power-intensive extraction sites, is also highlighted as a growing trend that could redefine operational standards across the continent.
On the policy front, the report offers a balanced view of Africa’s regulatory landscape. It examines beneficiation mandates being implemented in countries like South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, along with an analysis of the evolving capital environments for both junior and major mining companies. Sovereign decisions around resource nationalism, local content, and fiscal incentives are all viewed through the lens of long-term sustainability and industrial development.
According to Rachelle Kasongo, AMW’s Conference Director, the report is as much about informing decision-makers as it is about setting the stage for real action. “This report is about more than trends, it is about where the African mining sector is headed, who is driving the shift, and how the global investment landscape is responding. It also underscores AMW’s role as a platform for high-level dialogue and dealmaking,” she said.
Released as an official knowledge product of African Mining Week 2025, the report strengthens the event’s mission to drive investment, industrial growth, and partnership-building across the mining value chain. With AMW poised to bring together governments, financiers, extractives companies, and innovators this September in Cape Town, the report serves as a launchpad for deeper engagement and forward-looking strategies.
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As the world recalibrates toward clean energy, digital economies, and green infrastructure, Africa’s minerals are no longer just resources—they are levers of transformation. The question is no longer whether Africa will play a role in the energy transition, but how sustainably and equitably it can harness this moment for long-term prosperity.
The African Special Mining Report 2025 is now available for download here.
