from DION HENRICK in Cape Town
CAPE TOWN, (CAJ News) – DAY one of African Mining Week 2025 opened with a ministerial forum that spotlighted how three African nations – the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Nigeria and Zimbabwe – are advancing mineral beneficiation to capture greater economic value from their resources.
Louis Watum Kabamba, Minister of Mines for the DRC, underscored the country’s strategy of establishing special economic zones to attract capital and simplify investment.
“We have a one-stop shop removing fiscal complications, making it easier for industry participation to put in capital and technology to drive the beneficiation agenda,” Kabamba said.
The DRC, already the world’s second-largest copper producer, is also investing in AI technology to boost exploration efficiency and unlock its lithium potential.
“We want to be first in copper production, not second,” Kabamba added.
In Zimbabwe, Minister of Mines Winston Chitando confirmed that a new base metal refinery is on track for commissioning within two years.
He said the refinery will anchor efforts to grow domestic industries around the country’s vast platinum reserves – the second-largest in the world.
“Exporting ore all the way to ports makes no economic sense for a landlocked country,” Chitando stressed, pointing to three industrial parks under construction in Hwange, Beitbridge and near Harare.
Nigeria also outlined sweeping reforms aimed at transforming its mining industry into a $1 billion economy by 2030.
Yusuf Farouk Yabo, Permanent Secretary in Nigeria’s Ministry of Mines, said the government is overhauling the Mining Act of 2011 to better align with private sector needs.
“We need leadership, institutions and the right policies. That’s why we are revamping our legal framework,” Yabo explained.
He highlighted Nigeria’s investment in digitization and mineral traceability, ensuring transparency from artisanal and small-scale miners to global buyers.
“We want Nigerian minerals to come only from license holders or formalized ASM players who are traced and registered,” Yabo said.
With global demand for critical minerals surging, ministers agreed that beneficiation is no longer optional. Instead, it is a pathway to create jobs, industrial capacity, and stronger national economies across Africa.
– CAJ News