In 2025, mineral beneficiation— the process of adding value to raw material through local refining, processing, and manufacturing — has become a cornerstone of Africa's economic strategy, driven by surging global demand for critical minerals essential to the energy transition. The idea is to capture more value domestically - this shift not only boosts country revenues and job creation but also positions Africa as a key player in sustainable supply chains.
For example, Morocco has emerged as a battery hub, capitalising on renewables and logistics. Key projects include the Jorf Lasfar lithium-ion plant, Gotion's gigafactory in Kenitra (20 GWh capacity by 2026), and BTR New material Group Co. Ltd, a Chinese Company, that has invested USD 500m in a plant to manufacture Lithium battery cathode units so service Western markets. Managem, a local mining company listed on the Moroccan Stock Exchange, signed a 7-year deal to supply Renault with 5000 mt of low carbon cobalt sulphate per annum, starting from 2025.
Botswana and Namibia, excels in diamond beneficiation, with a thriving, cutting and polishing industry retaining economic value. Fixed agreements with De Beers ensure local supply for sight holders, transforming the economy beyond extraction. Furthermore, the Oshivela green iron plant in Namibia, launched in April 2025, highlights its green industrialization push in uranium and critical minerals.
Zimbabwe is progressing in lithium, platinum, gold and chrome processing, with policies banning raw lithium exports and tax reliefs designed to promote local processing and industrialisation. Platinum Group metals (PGM’s) are processed at the Mimosa plant, owned by the Mimosa Mine, Zimbabwe 's premier PGM Mine, and Lithium is processed at the Prospect Lithium plant in Goromonzi, built by the Chinese, to process one of the largest lithium reserves in the world.
Zambia has several key copper smelters, such as the Nkana Smelter (Kitwe) owned by the Konkola Copper Mine, the Chambishi smelters in the Zambia - China Free Trade Zone, owned by the China Non - Ferrous Mining Corporation, CNMC, which smelters produce London Metals Exchange (LME) registered copper cathodes. Also, the Kansanshi Smelter in Solwezi, is owned by First Quantum Mineral Ltd – which is one of the world’s most advanced copper smelters. The DRC has the largest copper smelter in Africa, the Kamoa-Kakula smelter (owned by Ivanhoe Mines & Zijin Mining Group), with a capacity of producing 500 000 tonnes of copper cathodes per annum.
The Dangote Oil refinery in Nigeria is the largest and arguably the most advanced oil refinery in Africa, with the capacity of producing 650 000 barrels a day of refined petroleum products.
Then finally, South Africa stands as the continent's beneficiation leader for PGM’s – processing 76% of global platinum, gold and steel, cementing its position as the most industrialised country in Africa.