CAPE TOWN: African mining ministers have pledged to accelerate efforts to process and add value to minerals within their borders, signalling a strategic shift from raw exports to industrialised economies.
At the Mining Indaba in Cape Town, ministers discussed the importance of enhancing domestic value addition, particularly for strategic and critical minerals, to boost government revenues, create jobs, and foster economic growth across Africa.
Tanzania’s Minister for Minerals, Anthony Mavunde, underlined the importance of better coordination between the mining and energy sectors to turn these goals into reality. Tanzania, he noted, has invested heavily in power generation and transmission to support mineral processing and beneficiation.
“Value addition is impossible without a stable energy supply,” Mavunde said, highlighting the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project, which has an installed capacity of 2,115 megawatts and is designed to support industrial growth, including the mining sector.
He also pointed to the expansion of the national electricity grid, spearheaded by TANESCO, and rural electrification projects facilitated by the Rural Energy Agency (REA) as key steps in ensuring consistent power supply to mining areas.
These investments are enabling both large-scale and small-scale miners to scale up production and shift toward processing, Mavunde explained.
Benjamin Mchampaka, Executive Secretary of the Tanzania Chamber of Mines, emphasised the significance of the meeting in addressing challenges that have hindered investment across the continent.
“Africa is rich in minerals, yet investment remains below potential,” Mchampaka said, adding that there is now a concerted push for coordinated strategies and common policies across African countries.
With global demand for critical minerals surging, particularly in response to the energy transition and new technologies, the ministers agreed that regional cooperation and stronger public-private partnerships are key to unlocking the full value of Africa’s mineral wealth.
