Mineral ambitions stalled

STRATEGIC: EXPLORATION LAG IS TESTING AFRICA'S CRITICAL RESOURCES PUSH

- Liesl Peyper

CONCERNS. Expansion in mining across Africa is being hampered by a slowdown in exploration on the continent at a time when global demand for critical minerals is rising, according to BDO.

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Despite being endowed with some of the world's richest deposits of critical minerals, Africa's mining sector is experiencing a sustained decline in mineral exploration, a trend that could weigh on its future project pipeline over time.

BDO's annual mining report 2026 notes that Africa is simultaneously trying to reposition itself from a predominantly raw-materials supplier to a higher-value mining and processing hub, using measures such as export controls, local processing requirements and strategic partnerships.

This ambition, however, is being constrained by declining exploration investment, in addition to familiar regional challenges such as policy uncertainty, inadequate infrastructure and energy bottlenecks.

The findings were presented on the sidelines of this year's Mining Indaba in Cape Town, where discussions were dominated by the increasing strategic importance of critical minerals.