Global Macro Research
MacroeconomicsWhat is Africa's role in the critical minerals landscape?
Africa holds a vast range of critical minerals that are vital for global supply chains. This has led to strong interest from western countries that want to diversify their supply chains away from China. However, China has been investing in the continent for decades, meaning its presence is already deeply embedded.
Author
Jai Tyagi
Graduate Analyst
Duration: 1 Min
Date: 16 Jul 2026
Key Takeaways
- The world is increasingly turning to Africa. This push has been initially driven by China, which has a significant first-mover advantage on the continent and is structurally entrenched within African critical mineral supply chains.
- The US and EU are pivoting their strategy from passive market access to active investment and partnerships to reduce reliance on China. Combined with moves to force partners to co invest in local processing, African countries should capture more of the added value, while also exerting greater control on pricing.
- African nations are likely to retain strong links with China, not least because of years of Chinese infrastructure investment and associated “debt diplomacy”. Increased investment from western countries and the build-out of domestic capacity will likely be a gradual long-term structural shift rather than a rapid change given long timescales associated with mining and refining.
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