By Minener Editorial Team | May 2025
Africa, home to nearly 30% of the world’s known critical mineral reserves, is emerging as a central focus in Europe’s race to secure resources for its green energy transition. As demand for copper, cobalt, rare earths, and other strategic minerals surges, European mining companies and institutions are ramping up investments across the continent.
This October 1–3, Cape Town will host African Mining Week 2025 (AMW) — the continent’s flagship mining event — featuring the highly anticipated Europe-Africa Roundtable under the theme: “European Partnerships in African Mining: A Mutually Beneficial Future.” The forum will gather mining executives, investors, and government leaders from both continents to explore collaborative opportunities and scale up critical mineral projects.
As African nations seek to attract foreign capital to power mining-driven industrial growth, Europe is stepping up. Major players like Anglo American are expanding their footprints with copper, coal, nickel, and diamond projects in South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, and Nigeria. Swiss-based Glencore remains a dominant force in cobalt and copper production across southern Africa, while Rio Tinto continues its diversified exploration and mining ventures throughout the continent.
Europe’s junior and mid-tier miners are also advancing. The UK’s Pensana is developing Angola’s first rare earth mine at Longonjo, projected to supply 5% of the global demand for magnet materials essential to EV motors and wind turbines. Meanwhile, Endeavour Mining is pushing forward with gold expansions at key sites like Lafigué (Ivory Coast), Sabodala-Massawa (Senegal), and Kalana (Mali), reinforcing its position as a pan-African gold leader.
Public institutions are playing their part, too. The European Commission is co-financing critical transport infrastructure like the Lobito Corridor, which will facilitate mineral exports from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, and Angola. Under frameworks such as the Global Gateway Africa-Europe Investment Package and the Africa-EU Partnership on Sustainable Raw Materials, Europe is channeling capital and technical expertise to support responsible mining practices and boost value-added processing within Africa.
African Mining Week 2025 will provide a high-level platform to advance these efforts. The Europe-Africa Roundtable is set to highlight actionable investment opportunities in gold, copper, cobalt, and rare earths while emphasizing ESG best practices, local beneficiation, and long-term strategic cooperation.
As mineral security becomes a geopolitical priority, Africa’s mining sector stands at the crossroads of global energy and industrial supply chains.