As governments revise mining codes and seek greater local value creation, the legal and regulatory frameworks underpinning these projects are becoming increasingly important to investors.

That dynamic will be explored at African Mining Week (AMW) 2026, taking place in Cape Town from October 14–16, where legal and advisory specialists will join industry leaders to examine how regulatory frameworks, financing structures and strategic partnerships can accelerate mineral development.

As part of the “Accelerating Mineral Production: The Energy, Water & Waste Nexus” panel, Iyunola Adekanye, Partner at Dentons, and Ope Osinubi, Senior Associate at Clifford Chance, are expected to discuss the legal and policy considerations shaping investment across Africa’s mining value chain. The session comes as mining companies and governments increasingly look beyond resource development itself to address the energy, water and infrastructure constraints that can determine whether projects reach production.

Dentons has been expanding its mining and natural resources capabilities as activity grows across Africa’s critical minerals sector. In June 2026, the firm opened a new office in Kolwezi, the mining hub of the DRC, strengthening its presence in one of the continent’s most important copper and cobalt markets. The move gives the firm a closer base from which to support mining companies and investors navigating the DRC’s regulatory environment, transactions and project development.

The expansion comes as the DRC seeks to attract greater investment into exploration, mining and downstream processing while increasing the domestic value captured from its mineral resources. Dentons’ wider African mining practice spans 17 countries and provides legal support across mining transactions, regulatory matters, project development and investment, reflecting the increasingly cross-border nature of Africa’s mineral supply chains.

Clifford Chance, meanwhile, advises mining companies, financiers and strategic investors on transactions spanning project finance, acquisitions, infrastructure and resource development. Its work across Africa includes advising financial institutions such as Deutsche Bank, the African Development Bank, Banque Ouest Africaine de Développement, Standard Bank and Stanbic IBTC Bank on financing transactions supporting infrastructure and resource-sector development.

The firm has also advised on major energy and mining-related financings, including a $250 million financing for Aradel Energy in Nigeria, highlighting the growing intersection between resource development, energy infrastructure and access to capital.

At AMW 2026, Adekanye and Osinubi will examine how stronger regulatory frameworks and well-structured partnerships can help reduce investment risk, mobilize capital and address the infrastructure gaps holding back mineral production.

As Africa seeks to move further up the mineral value chain, the ability to align government policy, investor protections, financing structures and infrastructure development will be critical. The discussion at AMW 2026 will highlight the legal architecture behind that investment push – and the role advisors can play in turning ambitious mining strategies into bankable projects.