A new scramble for Africa is underway, though it bears little resemblance to the colonial era. This competition isn’t marked by warships or land grabs, but by the pursuit of battery supply chains, ambitious green transition targets and high-level trade delegations. The race is on for lithium, cobalt, graphite, manganese, platinum group metals, and rare earth elements – the critical minerals powering electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and the digital infrastructure of the 21st century.
This scramble, whereas quieter than its 19th-century predecessor, carries potentially just as profound implications for the continent and the world. Unlike the past, however, Africa is no longer characterized by widespread political fragmentation. The continent now possesses regional economic blocs with the institutional capacity to shape outcomes – provided they act strategically and collectively, rather than competitively.
The stakes are high. The future of the global energy transition, and the economic fortunes of many African nations, hinge on how these blocs navigate this new era of resource competition. The question isn’t whether Africa will be involved, but on what terms.
SADC at the Epicenter of the Energy Transition
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) finds itself at the heart of the global energy transition mineral map. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) currently dominates the cobalt market, a crucial component in lithium-ion batteries. Zimbabwe holds significant, and increasingly sought-after, lithium deposits. South Africa controls vast reserves of platinum and manganese, while Zambia remains central to global copper supply. However, despite this concentration of strategic resources, value addition – the processing and manufacturing of these minerals into finished products – remains limited, with raw exports continuing to dominate the region’s trade.
If SADC member states can act in concert, they could coordinate beneficiation policies, harmonize royalty regimes, and foster the development of cross-border battery precursor industries. This collective approach would strengthen their negotiating power and ensure a greater share of the value chain remains within the region. However, a lack of coordination risks a race to the bottom, with member states undercutting one another to attract foreign capital, ultimately weakening their collective bargaining position.
ECOWAS Faces Governance Challenges Amidst Mineral Wealth
In West Africa, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) faces a different, yet equally critical, test. Guinea’s substantial bauxite reserves, Ghana’s promising lithium prospects, and widespread gold deposits position the region as a significant mineral heavyweight. However, governance instability and political fragmentation present substantial risks, potentially turning opportunity into vulnerability. Without regulatory harmonization, multinational corporations may exploit policy gaps and asymmetries by engaging with individual states, rather than the bloc as a whole.
This fragmented approach could lead to unfavorable deals and limited benefits for the region as a whole. Strengthening governance and establishing a unified regulatory framework are crucial steps for ECOWAS to maximize the potential benefits of its mineral wealth.
EAC and the Potential for Regional Industrial Policy
Meanwhile, the East African Community (EAC) is emerging as a source of strategic minerals, including graphite and rare earth elements. The EAC has demonstrated relative progress in customs integration and common market protocols, providing a foundation for coordinated industrial policy. The key question now is whether this framework can be extended beyond trade facilitation to encompass strategic mineral processing and regional manufacturing.
Developing a robust industrial policy focused on value addition could transform the EAC into a regional hub for mineral processing and manufacturing, creating jobs and boosting economic growth.
The African Union’s Vision and the AfCFTA
Overarching these regional efforts, the African Union (AU) has long articulated the African Mining Vision, a blueprint for resource-based industrialization. However, as the document itself acknowledges, visions require enforcement. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) offers a potential platform to transform mineral extraction into continental value chains. But without alignment between regional blocs and the broader continental strategy, the AfCFTA risks becoming merely a trade corridor for raw exports, rather than a catalyst for genuine industrialization.
The success of the AfCFTA in unlocking Africa’s mineral potential depends on the ability of regional blocs to coordinate their policies and work towards a common vision.
A Contractual Scramble: New Dynamics of Engagement
This new scramble for Africa is not characterized by military conquest, but by contractual agreements. It unfolds through memoranda of understanding, infrastructure financing agreements, and strategic partnership summits. Europe is seeking to secure its supply chains, while China is focused on securing long-term offtake agreements. The United States and Gulf states are likewise increasing their engagement in the region. None of this engagement is inherently exploitative, but without coordinated action from African nations, the continent risks repeating historical patterns of supplying raw materials while importing finished products.
According to a Reuters report from January 20, 2026, the Democratic Republic of Congo is actively seeking investment from US companies in its manganese, copper-cobalt, and lithium assets under a new minerals pact.
Moving Beyond Declarations: Concrete Steps for Action
Regional blocs must move beyond mere declarations of intent. They should establish common mineral pricing principles, mandatory regional beneficiation targets, transparent contract registries, and sovereign mineral funds to capture intergenerational value. Infrastructure corridors must be strategically designed to support industrialization, rather than simply facilitating extraction.
The stakes are clear. Critical minerals have the potential to anchor Africa’s structural transformation, driving economic growth, creating jobs, and improving livelihoods. Alternatively, they could entrench dependency under a greener banner, perpetuating a cycle of resource exploitation.
This time, Africa is not without institutions. The critical question is whether its regional blocs will act as passive gateways for extraction – or as strategic architects of a new industrial era.
History is watching.
The next key development to watch will be the outcome of the SADC summit scheduled for June 2026, where discussions on a regional beneficiation strategy for cobalt and lithium are expected to take center stage.
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