Driven by soaring global demand for minerals, China - as the world’s manufacturing hub - is expanding its footprint in Africa’s mining landscape. Concurrently, African countries are actively strengthening partnerships with China to accelerate mineral production, improve value addition and enhance resource monetization to drive GDP growth. The African Mining Week 2025 roundtable aligns with these goals by offering a strategic opportunity for mineral-rich nations in Africa to leverage global partnerships to advance projects.

African Mining Week serves as a premier platform for exploring the full spectrum of mining opportunities across Africa. The event is held alongside the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies 2025 conference from October 1-3 in Cape Town. Sponsors, exhibitors and delegates can learn more by contacting sales@energycapitalpower.com.

China already has a strong presence across Africa’s mining market, with Chinese companies advancing projects across the copper, lithium and refining industries. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Chinese companies operate 72% of the country’s cobalt and copper mines. The country is the world’s biggest cobalt producer and Africa’s largest copper producer. Looking ahead, Chinese investment is expected to fuel new projects. In January 2025, JCHX Mining announced a $751 million investment to develop the Lonshi Copper Mine’s East Zone, a project expected to unlock 3.5 million tons of copper per year. CMOC Group - the world’s leading cobalt production firm – is also investing $2.5 billion to expand production at the Tenke Fungurume and Kinsafu mines in the DRC, with a goal of producing one million tons of annual copper in the country by 2028.

Meanwhile, in Zambia - Africa’s second-largest copper producer - China Non-Ferrous Metals Company Limited, through NFC Africa Mining, launched operations at the $830 million Chambishi Southeast Ore Body Project in December 2024. As Africa’s first fully digital mine, the facility is expected to produce 60,000 tons of copper concentrate annually, supporting Zambia’s national goal of reaching three million tons of annual copper output by 2031. The African Mining Week roundtable will explore how these investments signal new opportunities for strengthened Africa-China trade dynamics.

In West Africa, Chinese state-owned and private entities are playing a pivotal role in developing Guinea’s Simandou Iron Ore Project - the world’s largest untapped reserve of high-grade iron ore. Companies including Baosteel Resources, Chinalco and China Harbor Engineering have created a consortium to bring the project into production by early 2026. Additionally, China’s State Power Investment Corporation has committed to building an alumina refinery in Guinea, expected to produce 1.2 million tons annually by 2027. In Mali, Ganfeng Lithium began production at the Goulamina Lithium Project – the country’s first lithium project - in late-2024. As one of Africa’s largest lithium resources, the mine will supply 15.6 million tons of spodumene concentrate over the next two decades. Chinese investment is also surging in Zimbabwe - the continent’s largest lithium producer - through projects such as Bikita, Kamativi, Arcadia and Sabi Star, enhancing Africa’s role in the global battery supply chain.

As Africa’s strategic role in the global mineral supply chain continues to grow, African Mining Week 2025 will provide a vital platform for Chinese and African stakeholders to deepen collaboration, unlock new investment opportunities and forge forward-looking partnerships that support shared economic goals.