Unlocking sustainable
opportunities in African
mining

In 2023, a mine operating along the Central African Copperbelt moved its first test consignment through the Lobito Corridor, using the refurbished rail spine that links the Democratic Republic of Congo to Angola’s Atlantic coast. Roughly 1100 tonnes of copper concentrate from the Kamoa-Kakula complex in Kolwezi were loaded at the Impala Terminals facility and sent west by rail to the Port of Lobito

When gold broke through the $4,000 mark to reach a new record high in October last year, and continued its historic rally to surpass $5,000 per ounce for the first time in late January, the buying behaviour in gold moved from a safe haven asset and de-dollarisation based on a range of geo-political and economic events to a clear momentum based trade filled with ‘hot money’.

It is often said that Africa holds close to a third of the world’s known reserves of the minerals essential to the energy transition and to emerging industrial technologies. The figure appears so frequently in policy papers and investor decks that it has become almost rhetorical, a shorthand for potential rather than a measure of realised strategy. But that is beginning to shift, at least at a discernibly faster pace.

The African mining industry faces a defining moment. The demand for critical minerals such as copper, lithium, nickel, and rare earths continues to surge as economies pivot toward decarbonisation and renewable energy sources.

In the late '80s, Anglo American pioneered an innovative supplier development model in South Africa. Through a suite of enterprise funds known as Zimele, the mining giant provided financial support to aspiring entrepreneurs from historically disadvantaged communities, leveraging its sector expertise and procurement networks as catalysts for fostering SME growth and driving broader, socially responsible economic development.

The world is rewriting its rulebook. It’s no longer just about what you produce but how you produce it. For resource-rich regions like Africa, the implications are profound: the value of its vast reserves of critical minerals is now tied not only to their abundance but also to the ethical and sustainable frameworks governing their extraction and processing.

Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) investments coupled with a focus on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) frameworks, could provide a powerful combination for developing local manufacturing capacity to support the African mining and resources sector.

African-based mining and resource companies which have invested in renewable energy infrastructure over the last few years are not only reaping the benefits through access to cheaper power but also achieving sustainability goals identified by stakeholders including lenders looking to fund expansion.

As the race for valuable commodities intensifies, it is increasingly evident that geopolitical competition will catalyse a wave of Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A), reshaping the landscape of Africa’s resource-rich industries. India, the United States (US), Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are all poised to commit further investment to the continent and Africa will need to find ways to maximise its investment attractiveness amidst global upheaval.

As a leading funder of resource and mining projects on the African continent, we are excited by the confluence of opportunities that 2023 will present.

The recent surge in commodity prices have not only driven profitability but provided a handy kicker to the finances of governments across the African continent. There is still money to be made for forward-thinking operators who are prepared to look beyond extraction to mature Africa’s mining ecosystem.

While its contribution to GDP may have declined over time, the South African mining and resources sector is a systemically important part of the domestic economy. As such, continued innovation from operators, explorers and financiers will be key in driving the next phase of our economic recovery.