Publications
The Africa Roundtable N°9
Follow-Up
The Africa Roundtable in Berlin 2025
New Models for Africa-Europe Critical Mineral Partnerships
Publications: The Africa Roundtable N°9
December 17, 2025
Berlin
The 9th edition of The Africa Roundtable, held in Berlin, identified both the challenges and opportunities in transforming Africa-Europe critical mineral partnerships. The message was clear: Europe’s window of opportunity, though still open, demands urgency and new approaches to generate mutual benefits.
Africa holds extraordinary mineral wealth essential to the global energy transition. The discussions explored new partnership models that could deliver value creation for both continents. Decision-makers from Germany, Europe, and Africa emphasized that achieving shared prosperity requires building on existing strengths and moving from aspiration to pragmatic action that delivers tangible outcomes.
Drawing from previous discussions on green finance, infrastructure, and training, this edition focused on bridging the gap between ambitious partnerships and tangible results. The focus was on creating tangible value through manufacturing, job creation, and economic development, moving beyond mere raw material extraction and traditional development cooperation.
Recommendations for Action
Investment Partnerships
Move from technical assistance to large-scale private investment. Public agencies should de-risk early stages, enabling companies to develop strategic, sustainable projects.
Project Risk
Shift from country-based risk pricing to project-level assessments. Use targeted risk-sharing tools where fundamentals are strong to unlock viable assets.
Regional Scale
Regional clusters and shared infrastructure can cut energy costs by 40–50%. Coordinated action through AfCFTA and AMDC, with Europe acting as a bloc, strengthens competitiveness.
Value Chains
Expand downstream processing to create jobs and value. Multi-region partnerships linking African resources, European technology, and Gulf capital can localize processing and diversify supply chains.
Fast Delivery
Existing EU and German agreements must move faster. Priorities include fast-track projects, dedicated financing, empowered joint teams, regular reviews, and rapid deployment of the €1 billion Rohstofffonds.
Smart Finance
Better coordination of financing tools is needed. Integrated packages—combining grants, risk insurance, debt, and trade finance—can crowd in private capital, especially in exploration.
Cost Competitiveness
Long-term success depends on competitive costs. Focus areas include affordable energy, fair pricing mechanisms, shared infrastructure, and long-term investment strategies.
Contact Persons
Stephanie Igunbor, s.igunbor@globalperspectives.org
Supported by
BMZ Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung
BDI Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie
GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit
Publications
Our collaborative publications aim to stimulate questioning and discussion. They are the result of a deep engagement with the focus topics of our work and enable a fact-based dialogue.
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Program Archive
In the ninth edition of the Africa Roundtable, we discussed how Europe and Africa build partnerships that turn Africa's raw material wealth into local value creation.
This paper explores how Africa can add value to its critical minerals, boost local processing, and drive green industrialization while strengthening regional and global supply chains.
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