Africa holds about 30% of the world's reserves of critical energy-transition minerals, for which demand could more than triple by 2030, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) has said. ALSO READ: Rwanda and critical minerals: An expert’s view on resources, origins, future Claver Gatete was speaking on August 17 at the 46th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government, held in Durban, South Africa. Critical energy-transition minerals include cobalt, lithium, graphite, copper, manganese and nickel, which are essential for electric vehicles, rechargeable batteries, renewable energy systems and energy transmission. Gatete noted that Southern Africa has major deposits of platinum, lithium, diamonds, manganese, cobalt and copper, all of which are vital to the global clean energy transition. ALSO READ: Inside Rwanda’s Tungsten mine which is the leading producer in Africa He noted that minerals contribute about 10% of SADC's GDP and 25% of its exports, but only 7% of direct employment, highlighting the need for greater local processing and manufacturing. Gatete called on African countries to move beyond exporting raw minerals and instead develop industries that process them into higher-value products, including batteries, electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies. Fertiliser industries He said the continent continues to import significant quantities of fertiliser despite possessing natural gas, phosphates, potash and the industrial capacity needed for production. This pattern limits job creation, weakens resilience and constrains structural transformation, he said. Are we going to continue exporting raw materials while others capture the higher-value stages of production, or shall we become a competitive centre of manufacturing, innovation and value creation? ALSO READ: Locally produced fertiliser to reach 40% of national demand Across the continent, Gatete said, abundant mineral and agricultural resources, renewable energy potential and growing industrial capabilities provide a strong foundation for transformation. Meanwhile, he warned that development aid is declining, concessional finance is becoming scarcer and borrowing costs are rising. He added that the crisis in the Middle East is disrupting trade routes, increasing volatility in energy, food and fertiliser prices, fuelling inflation, weakening African currencies and tightening financing conditions. “In response, nations are investing in advanced manufacturing, food systems transformation, energy security, including clean energy, digitalisation and strategic industries,” he said. Where does Africa fit in this new economic order? For generations, Gatete said, Africa has supplied the world with raw and semi-finished commodities while receiving a disproportionately small share of the wealth created from them. “Africa exports minerals; others manufacture batteries, electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies. The continent also imports significant quantities of fertiliser despite possessing natural gas, phosphates, potash and industrial capacity,” he said. He argued that the imbalance points to a clear opportunity: value addition, regional integration and infrastructure development. What countries have achieved Gatete highlighted examples of industrial progress across Southern Africa. He said South Africa's automotive sector has developed strong supplier networks, while Botswana's diamond cutting, polishing and trading industry demonstrates how more value can be retained domestically. Zimbabwe's investment in lithium processing, he added, reflects growing recognition that minerals should be processed before export. Mozambique's natural gas developments, meanwhile, show how resource wealth can support industrialisation, fertiliser production and regional energy security. He also cited the Lobito Corridor, linking Angola, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as an example of infrastructure that can reduce transport costs, attract investment and strengthen regional value chains. The Southern African Power Pool, he said, illustrates how regional cooperation can improve energy security and expand industrial markets, while the Zambia–DRC Battery Electric Vehicle Initiative offers a model for developing battery products and electric mobility value chains from cobalt, copper and lithium. “The economics of all of this is compelling. ECA research found that building a 10,000-tonne battery precursor plant in the Democratic Republic of the Congo could cost about $39 million, roughly three times less than in the United States, while also reducing emissions compared with existing supply chains routed through China,” Gatete said. He described this as the kind of opportunity Africa must seize—not simply exporting ore, but producing higher-value goods, developing technical skills and retaining more value on the continent. Gatete said this vision underpins ECA's planned partnership with the African Development Bank on African Critical Mineral Value Chains and Strategic Corridors, including the Battery and Electric Vehicle Corridor, the Lithium Industrialisation Corridor, the Graphite Processing Corridor, and the Iron Ore, Manganese and Green Industrial Materials Corridor. He stressed that regional value chains must become the cornerstone of Africa's industrial transformation because no single country possesses all the resources, technology and capabilities needed to compete globally. Gatete proposed six priorities to accelerate industrial transformation: mobilising large-scale finance and partnerships, expanding mineral beneficiation and regional critical mineral value chains, transforming agriculture through irrigation, mechanisation and food processing, strengthening fertiliser and agricultural input security, deepening regional value chains under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and investing in reliable energy, transport and digital infrastructure. He stressed that industrialisation cannot succeed without reliable, affordable and sustainable energy, efficient transport networks and modern digital connectivity. Building on the Southern African Power Pool, he urged the region to expand electricity generation, strengthen transmission interconnections and accelerate investment in renewable energy, hydropower, gas-to-power and battery storage.
