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Towards Value Addition for Africa’s Critical Minerals

Key Issues for Policymakers

Towards Value Addition for Africa’s Critical Minerals

December 3, 2025

Berlin

This policy brief, authored by ACET as a knowledge partner for The Africa Roundtable, examines how Africa can shift from exporting raw critical minerals to capturing greater value through local processing.

Despite holding around 30% of global reserves, most minerals leave the continent unprocessed, limiting revenue, jobs, and industrial development.

The brief outlines the barriers to mineral beneficiation – including financing constraints, limited technical capacity, infrastructure gaps, and insufficient regional cooperation – and highlights the growing global competition for secure supply chains. It argues that regional collaboration is essential for building green value chains that position Africa as a stronger participant in the global green and digital transitions.

Publications

Our 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.

Program Archive

Circle
Multilateral Finance Mechanisms
How to Deliver Development Impact in a Changing World?

In times of limited resources and geopolitical tension, multilateral institutions can maximize the impact of existing development funding.

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Breaking Point or Turning Point
What Role Can Europe Play in Africa’s Reproductive Health Future?

Funding cuts are putting health systems across Africa under pressure. Collaboration with Germany and Europe can help strengthen healthcare in the long term.

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Reproductive Health at a Turning Point
Perspectives on Innovation, Financing, and Partnerships in a Changing World

This interview publication reviews the effects of recent cuts in reproductive health, presents practical options for funding and service delivery, and offers guidance for policymakers and investors.

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The Africa Roundtable N°9
Follow-Up

Africa’s critical minerals are essential to Europe’s future, playing a significant role in the green transition and industrial competitiveness. The Follow-Up to the 9th edition of the Roundtable.

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The Africa Roundtable N°9
New Models for Africa-Europe Critical Mineral Partnerships

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.

Circle
Rethinking Development Policy
Strategies for a Changing World

We discussed with State Secretary Niels Annen how development policy can be integrated into networked foreign, security, and economic policies.

Circle
Impact of Global Trade Relations on International Development

US tariffs changes are causing new uncertainties in global trade. Together with ONE and Pinelopi K. Goldberg, we discussed how international development policy needs to be realigned.

Salon
Driving Growth: Local Value Chains & Global Trade
Berlin Global Dialogue

As traditional trade relations shift, strengthening local value chains, enhancing trade agreements, and mobilizing private capital are key to building more resilient and mutually beneficial economies.

Digital Salon
Global Perspectives on: Green Finance
What's missing in Green Finance?

Our speaker James Irungu Mwangi shared his perspective on how to accelerate climate action and investment across Africa. Together, we discussed what it will take to mobilize the green finance needed.

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Global Perspectives Initiative is a non-profit and independent dialogue platform based in Berlin, Germany. Global Perspectives works towards enhanced engagement and responsibility for sustainable development by German and European decision-makers and aims to strengthen African perspectives in policy making. To this end, Global Perspectives regularly brings together decision-makers from business, academia, politics, media, and civil society to discuss new approaches, provide new impulses and raise awareness on the common opportunities and challenges the two neighboring continents are facing.

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