Ministers from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zimbabwe and Nigeria outlined plans to expand mineral beneficiation and value addition at the ongoing African Mining Week 2025 ministerial forum in Cape Town.

Mineral beneficiation refers to processing raw ores and minerals within the producing country, rather than exporting them unrefined. That can include smelting, refining, value addition and manufacturing, such as turning lithium into batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), platinum into catalytic converters, or copper into wiring.

DRC Mines Minister Louis Watum Kabamba said Kinshasa was prioritising special economic zones to attract investment. He told delegates a “one-stop shop” for fiscal processes had been introduced to ease participation, and the government aims to deploy artificial intelligence to improve mineral exploration, particularly of lithium.

Kabamba also highlighted ambitions to expand copper output, noting the DRC is the world’s second-largest producer after Chile. “We want to use advanced technology to unlock lithium potential. We are also second to Chile in copper production and we want to be first,” he said.

The DRC is prioritising special economic zones and technology investment to boost refining of copper, cobalt and lithium.

Zimbabwe’s Mines Minister Winston Chitando said Harare aimed to commission a base metal refinery within two years. He noted Zimbabwe holds the second-largest platinum reserves globally after neighbouring South Africa and seeks to leverage this to expand domestic employment and manufacturing capacity.

Since 2022, Zimbabwe has imposed a ban on raw lithium exports, while also planning new refineries and industrial parks to expand local processing.

Chitando added that three industrial parks are under construction in Hwange, Beitbridge and outside Harare to promote value addition. “Exporting ore all the way to the port and shipping it internationally does not make economic sense since we are a landlocked country,” he told the forum.

Nigeria’s delegation was led by Yusuf Farouk Yabo, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Mines. He said Abuja aimed to build a $1bn mining economy by 2030 and was reviewing the Mining Act of 2011 to ensure it supports private-sector participation.

Yabo said Nigeria was digitising mining processes to improve data access and traceability. “We want to ensure traceability from mining to monetisation, with Nigerian minerals set to come from licence holders or formalised ASM suppliers,” he added.

The inaugural African Mining Week runs from October 1–3 in Cape Town. The ministerial forum focused on how resource-rich states plan to capture greater value from mineral exports, with officials presenting initiatives to link mining to broader industrial and economic policies.

Beneficiation drive gathers pace across Africa

Turning bauxite into alumina (and eventually aluminium) instead of just shipping ore. Refining gold domestically rather than exporting doré bars. Using lithium for local battery or chemical production. Cutting and polishing diamonds within producing countries... 

The beneficiation agenda features prominently in African Union strategies, including Agenda 2063, a 50-year blueprint for transforming the continent into a more prosperous, integrated, and globally influential region, as governments try to balance investor interest with industrial policy.

Countries in the Sahel – notably three under military rule following recent coups – is also joining this trend. Mali, a top gold producer, is seeking to establish domestic refining capacity instead of relying on exports to Switzerland and the UAE. Burkina Faso is building small-scale refineries to process artisanal gold locally. Niger, which has long exported uranium in raw form, is exploring partnerships to expand downstream processing, though political instability has slowed progress.

Mauritania’s state miner SNIM is modernising iron ore beneficiation plants to upgrade ore quality before export. Further west, Senegal is developing phosphate and zircon processing facilities, with phosphoric acid production aimed at feeding fertiliser plants. Guinea, home to the world’s largest bauxite reserves, is pressing foreign companies to build alumina refineries to reduce raw ore shipments to China. Ghana has introduced policies to promote local refining of gold and bauxite and is planning an integrated aluminium industry.

Southern Africa remains at the forefront of the beneficiation drive. Namibia and Botswana, already experienced in diamond polishing and cutting, are now looking at extending value-addition to other minerals.