Global rush for critical minerals puts African countries at risk, Mantashe warns

Intensifying geopolitical competition for minerals was putting renewed pressure on the sovereignty of resource-rich African states as major economies race to secure control over supply chains critical to energy transitions, defence and industrial policy, Mineral and Petroleum Resources MinisterGwede Mantashewarned on Monday. The global scramble for minerals had entered a more aggressive phase, driven by strategic priorities in developed economies seeking to reduce dependence on external suppliers, Mantashe told delegates at theInvesting in African Mining Indabain Cape Town. The annual conference is a gathering of African leaders, industry stakeholders and investors to discuss the development of the continent’s mineral resources.

“This year’s Indaba convenes at a moment of profound global uncertainty. We are witnessing heightened geopolitical tensions, driven largely by the competition of some developed economies seeking greater control over the natural resources of developing nations,” Mantashe said. He said the dynamics were increasingly exposing mineral-rich developing countries to external pressure as Africa became a central arena in widening global rivalries.

“This dynamic represents a serious threat to the sovereignty of resource-endowed countries, the majority of which are on the African continent,” the minister said. He warned that uncoordinated national responses risked triggering a race to the bottom, in which countries weakened regulatory standards and offered increasingly generous concessions to attract foreign investment, undermining long-term developmental and fiscal interests. Mantashe called on African governments to act collectively, particularly in relation to minerals that had become central to global economic and security agendas.

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“There is growing recognition that reliance on raw mineral exports leaves countries vulnerable to price volatility, external policy shifts and geopolitical leverage exercised by major consuming nations,” he said. As a result, African governments were increasingly evaluating partnerships on commitments to industrialisation, value addition and technology transfer, rather than capital inflows alone. The scramble for Africa’s minerals is driven by major developed economies seeking strategic control over resources critical to energy, defence and industrial technologies. According to reports and analyses from the US Geological Survey, the European Commission and the African Development Bank, China leads in rare earths, lithium and cobalt for electronics and renewable energy.

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