**Southern African States Advocate for Domestic Processing of Mineral Wealth**
Southern African nations are advocating for the processing of critical minerals within their borders rather than exporting raw materials, a move aimed at generating local wealth and creating manufacturing jobs. This call to action was emphasized by Elias Magosi, the Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), during a recent summit held in Durban, South Africa.
Southern Africa is recognized as the continent's richest and most diverse region in terms of critical minerals. The SADC member states are endowed with substantial deposits of essential resources, including cobalt, copper, lithium, graphite, manganese, and platinum-group metals. These minerals are increasingly vital in global markets, particularly for clean energy technologies, electronics, and military applications.
At the summit, Magosi urged leaders to capitalize on their mineral wealth to develop local industries. "We do not need permission from anyone to start this process. Let’s start now," he stated, highlighting the urgency of the situation.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa echoed Magosi's sentiments, emphasizing the need for the region to retain more value from its resources. He pointed out that despite the abundance of minerals, Southern Africa often finds itself in a position where it exports raw materials only to import finished products, such as batteries, at inflated prices set by foreign markets.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), a significant member of SADC since 1998, stands as the world's leading cobalt producer and the second-largest copper supplier. Zambia is also a major player in copper production, while Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Mozambique possess notable deposits of lithium, platinum-group metals, and graphite, respectively.
The geopolitical landscape surrounding critical minerals has intensified, particularly as the United States seeks to reduce China's dominance in global supply chains. Southern Africa has emerged as a focal point in this competition, with the U.S. and its allies aiming to secure access to copper, cobalt, lithium, and graphite.
China has already established a strong foothold in the region, controlling significant copper and cobalt operations in the DR Congo and investing heavily in Zimbabwe's lithium sector. Additionally, Beijing is funding a $1.4 billion refurbishment project for the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, which serves as a critical export route linking Zambia's mining regions to the Indian Ocean.
In response, Washington and Brussels are supporting the development of the Lobito Corridor, a trade route designed to connect mining areas in Zambia and the DR Congo to Angola's Atlantic coast. The European Commission has indicated that this project aims to secure raw materials for Europe’s green and digital industries while simultaneously creating job opportunities in Africa.
Several SADC member states have already taken steps to restrict the export of unprocessed minerals to encourage domestic processing. Earlier this year, Zimbabwe halted exports of all raw minerals and lithium concentrate, while Namibia has implemented bans on the export of unprocessed lithium, cobalt, manganese, graphite, and rare earths, with some limited exemptions. Tanzania has mandated local mineral processing since 2017, and the DR Congo recently imposed a ban on the export of copper and cobalt concentrates.
During the summit, President Ramaphosa stressed the importance of enhancing economic cooperation among Southern African countries in light of the "intensifying competition for strategic resources." He called for efforts to reduce non-tariff barriers and improve trade facilitation within the region.
In addition to discussions on mineral processing, the SADC also announced plans to strengthen cooperation with Russia. Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration, Angele Makombo N’Tumba, met with Tatiana Dovgalenko, the director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Department for Partnership with Africa, to advance a draft action plan under a previously established cooperation agreement from 2018. This proposed plan encompasses various sectors, including industrial development, trade, digital infrastructure, agriculture, and technology, as well as discussions on military-technical cooperation and preparations for the upcoming third Russia-Africa Summit.
As Southern African nations push for greater control over their mineral resources, the outcomes of these initiatives could significantly impact the region's economic landscape and its role in the global supply chain for critical minerals.