Publications
Towards Value Addition for Africa’s Critical Minerals
Key Issues for Policymakers
Publications: 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.
Contact Persons
Stephanie Igunbor, s.igunbor@globalperspectives.org
Supported by
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.
Related Program
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.
Our discussion at Raw Materials Congress focused on fostering smart and sustainable European-African partnerships in raw materials to meet demand, boost African growth, and support energy transitions.
The fifth edition of The Africa Roundtable focussed on employability, skills and training and examine the possibilities of equal education and training for Africa's youth.
The Commission “A Changing World – Germany and the Global South” presents its recommendations as a basis for addressing key strategic decisions facing Germany today.
We are at a turning point in European-African economic relations. The action recommendations of the fourth conference.
Health security in Europe and Africa is closely interconnected. We discussed stronger collaboration through investment in local production, health equity biotechnology, research, and innovation.
Europe’s access to critical minerals in Africa depends crucially on stronger private sector engagement. We have now taken the recommendations further.
The Commission "A Changing World - Germany and the Global South", chaired by Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, presents its first impulses ahead of the German federal elections in 2025.
At the eighth edition of The Africa Roundtable, we discussed how to rethink and strengthen sustainable finance in Africa through strategic partnerships with Europe.
The second edition of The Africa Roundtable focussed on recovery, preparedness, and resilience in times of crises. It examined new possibilities for sustainable European-African cooperation.
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.
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.
Following the World Climate Conference COP27, we discussed partnership-based solutions for future cooperation between Europe and Africa at the third edition of The Africa Roundtable.
The sixth edition of the Africa Roundtable focuses on how the African continent can unlock its full potential as an agricultural powerhouse.
Following COP27, decision-makers from both continents discussed collaborative action plans for a just green transition, energy and agriculture.
The research paper on food sovereignity in Africa was issued on the occasion of The Africa Roundtable “Growing Africa's Future” 2024 in Berlin.
The African continent has the potential to become the global agriculture powerhouse. The action recommendations of the sixth conference.
Program Archive
No continent can safeguard its health security alone. Shared health security is therefore a matter of mutual interest. The action recommendations of the tenth conference.
We brought together policymakers and experts at the German Bundestag to discuss how Germany can strengthen Defense, Diplomacy, and Development as equal pillars of its foreign and security policy.
The impacts of climate change are being felt around the world. At the same time, there are reasons for hope. Together with Dr. Ani Dasgupta, we explored why the climate crisis calls for more optimism.
Health security in Europe and Africa is closely interconnected. We discussed stronger collaboration through investment in local production, health equity biotechnology, research, and innovation.
Africa is emerging as a major hub for innovation and artificial intelligence. With leading African voices from Big Tech, academia, and innovation, we highlighted AI innovation across the continent.
Climate policy is security policy. We discussed how Europe can work with countries in the Global South to implement concrete measures that benefit both sides.
At the launch of the Alliance for Integrated Security, we discussed the current geopolitical challenges and identified potential areas of cooperation between Germany and the Global South.
As global conflicts increase and uncertainty rises, Europe and Germany must take greater responsibility for their future and adopt a broader approach to security.
Europe’s access to critical minerals in Africa depends crucially on stronger private sector engagement. We have now taken the recommendations further.