Cape Town Summits Spotlighting Africa's Drive for New Century of Sustainable Mining

From 12 to 16 October, African Energy Week (AEW) 2025 convened government officials, business leaders, and development financiers in Cape Town to reaffirm Africa's growing weight as a global energy hub. Taking place just days after the Cape Town-hosted African Mining Week, the summit highlighted how the continent's vast critical mineral reserves are central to both the world's clean energy transition and Africa's own sustainable development ambitions.

By emphasising investor confidence and ESG-aligned extraction, AEW participants laid a strong foundation for the Invest in African Energy Forum slated for April 2026 in Paris—a major opportunity for striking strategic investments and partnerships. Crucially, as African governments work to harness their mineral wealth, a new cooperation model with international investors is emerging, grounded in shared value creation and lasting local impact.

Industry analysts increasingly warn that the 'extract-and-exit' approach is no longer viable, rightly asserting that mining companies must contribute to broader socio-economic growth. Encouragingly, forward-thinking mining groups operating in Africa are already adopting this model, helping to usher in the industry's promising new era.

Momentum Building for Responsible Mining

At African Mining Week, industry experts focused on the role of the continent's critical minerals, noting that demand for these resources would need to surge by nearly 500% in order to meet the world's 2050 climate goals. Published in October, a new UNEP report mirrors this sense of urgency, highlighting that minerals essential to solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries surged between 8% and 15% in 2023 alone, with lithium demand projected to rise ninefold by mid-century.

As the report's authors state, "the demand for minerals and metals needed for the energy transition requires a mining industry that contributes to sustainable development, while respecting human rights and the environment," with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Africa, and Zimbabwe identified as countries seeking to finance this agenda with mining-generated revenue. African governments need stronger investment support from mining companies to offer "public goods and services that increase productivity across the non-extractive sectors," while expanding local processing and manufacturing.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) offers a clear example: minerals account for 12% of its GDP and 86% of exports, underscoring the urgency of both retaining more value from mining and diversifying beyond extraction. The country's new Battery Council aims to establish a regional electric battery value chain, linking mining to technology and industry. Similarly, South Africa's 'Hydrogen Valley' initiative seeks to leverage its platinum group metals to manufacture fuel cells and export green hydrogen.

CMOC's Holistic Growth Agenda in the DRC

Echoing his government's vision, DRC Mines Minister Louis Watum Kabamba declared during his keynote address at African Mining Week that the continent "is rising," and that "we must take control of our resources." Crucially, Kabamba warned that to power the world's green transition, "we'll have to find, and then mine, more copper than has ever been mined in history before."

With its soaring copper production in the DRC and firm support for the government's industrial ambitions, Chinese mining giant CMOC is at the centre of this national undertaking. On the back of a record-breaking 2024, CMOC broke into the global top 10 in copper production and posted over 350,000 tonnes of copper output in the first half of 2025 alone. Moving forward, the company is advancing major projects like KFM Phase II to reach its medium-term copper goal of one million tonnes annually.

To ensure this output surge aligns with sustainability goals, CMOC is investing heavily in renewable infrastructure, including the 200 MW Heshima Hydropower project. The facility will supply clean, stable electricity to both mining operations and surrounding communities, reducing emissions and supporting local development. Meanwhile, CMOC's DRC subsidiary, TFM, recently called for greater public-private collaboration to accelerate the creation of a domestic EV battery industry and other green industrial projects, embedding value-added activities within the country.

Reflecting UNEP's mining vision, CMOC is heavily investing its rising copper profits in human capital and community infrastructure to help build diversified, resilient local economies. Earlier this year, TFM launched the 146-hectare Mumena Integrated Agropastoral Center, designed to strengthen local food security, entrepreneurship, and youth employment. Combining livestock farming, aquaculture, and training with reforestation and organic fertiliser production, the centre will create cross-sector opportunities that illustrate mining's potential as a catalyst for broader sustainable development.

Valterra Platinum Driving South Africa's Green Hydrogen Bid

If the DRC is set to play a decisive role in meeting global copper demand, fellow critical minerals powerhouse South Africa has an equally vital contribution to make as the world's top producer of platinum group metals (PGM). In recent years, South Africa's government has sought to leverage its mineral wealth by linking platinum mining with green hydrogen production, transforming its raw resources into high-value, soaring-demand exports.

As the world's largest platinum producer, Valterra Platinum—previously known as Anglo American Platinum—is at the core of South Africa's green hydrogen gambit. Speaking at African Mining Week, CEO Craig Miller highlighted Africa's growing role in strengthening global PGM supply chains and positioning Valterra as a cornerstone of that effort. Global demand for PGMs continues to rise—powered by EVs and clean energy technologies—making Valterra's role more pivotal than ever.

Valterra operates several of South Africa's largest PGM assets, including the 5.8-million-ounce Tumela Mine, the 310,000-ounce Mogalakwena Mine, and the 217,000-ounce Kroondal Mine, alongside Zimbabwe's Unki Mine, producing 64,000 ounces annually. For 2025, the company targets up to 3.4 million refined ounces across its portfolio, supported by major expansion and new investments across its African operations to strengthen production and sustainability.

Beyond output, Valterra has been instrumental in advancing South Africa's green hydrogen ambitions from day one. Since 2021, it has partnered with French energy company ENGIE to develop the Hydrogen Society Roadmap—a framework for a just, inclusive net-zero economy by 2050. The company is also advocating for greater investment in the Hydrogen South Africa programme to unlock government-funded R&D, foster SMEs, and develop local skills, laying the foundations for a competitive hydrogen economy that benefits all South Africans.

The Bottom Line

Africa's energy and mining transformation is no longer a distant prospect—it is already taking shape. The challenge now is to turn ambition into execution by aligning public and private efforts behind projects that secure global supply chains and deliver tangible value for local communities. As investors prepare to gather in Paris next year, the task is clear: forge partnerships that build the foundations of a resilient, inclusive, and African-led energy future.