Africa must move beyond exporting raw minerals and instead build its own industrial base to capture greater value from its resources, according to Kgosientsho Ramokgopa.
Speaking at the 5th Ordinary Session of the African Union’s Specialised Technical Committee on Transport and Energy, Ramokgopa said the continent’s long-standing reliance on raw mineral exports has limited its economic potential and industrial growth.
He called for a strategic shift toward beneficiation—processing and manufacturing minerals within Africa—to drive industrialisation, create jobs and strengthen energy security.
Building Africa’s industrial base
Africa is rich in critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt and platinum group metals, which are essential for global clean energy technologies. However, much of this wealth is exported in raw form, with value addition taking place in more industrialised economies.
Ramokgopa stressed that this model must change if Africa is to fully benefit from the global energy transition. By developing local industries around mining—such as refining, smelting and manufacturing—the continent can retain a larger share of value and reduce dependence on imports.
Role of coordinated policy
The minister highlighted the importance of policy alignment and regional coordination in achieving this shift. Platforms such as the AU’s Specialised Technical Committees are designed to harmonise projects and programmes across member states while strengthening collaboration with Regional Economic Communities.
This coordination is seen as critical to overcoming fragmented markets, inconsistent regulations and infrastructure gaps that continue to hinder industrial development.
Energy and infrastructure as enablers
A key pillar of Africa’s industrialisation push is reliable energy supply. Ramokgopa noted that without stable and affordable electricity, large-scale mineral processing and manufacturing will remain difficult to achieve.
Investment in energy infrastructure—alongside transport systems such as rail and ports—will therefore be essential to support value addition and industrial growth.
A continental shift underway
The minister’s remarks align with a broader trend across Africa, where governments are increasingly introducing policies aimed at retaining more value from natural resources. Several countries have already imposed restrictions on raw mineral exports in a bid to encourage local processing and downstream industries.
However, experts caution that such measures must be supported by adequate infrastructure, skills development and investment frameworks to be effective.
Outlook
As global demand for critical minerals continues to rise, Africa faces a strategic opportunity to reposition itself within global supply chains—not just as a supplier of raw materials, but as a hub for industrial production.
Ramokgopa’s call underscores a growing consensus: the future of Africa’s resource wealth lies not in extraction alone, but in building the industrial capacity to transform those resources into higher-value products on the continent.