As the global race for critical minerals intensifies, countries across Africa are fast-tracking investments in beneficiation infrastructure to bolster local economies, create jobs and secure more equitable participation in global mineral value chains. The continent’s mineral-rich economies are increasingly focusing on developing domestic refining and processing capacity to shift from raw material exports to value-added production.
This growing emphasis on downstream development will take centre stage at the upcoming African Mining Week (AMW) 2025, the continent’s flagship industry platform. Set under the theme From Extraction to Beneficiation: Unlocking Africa’s Mineral Wealth, the event aims to connect African governments and private-sector players with global investors to unlock new industrialisation opportunities across the mining value chain.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a landmark agreement signed in June 2025 between the government and mining company Buenassa will see the establishment of the country’s first integrated copper and cobalt refinery. The project includes a 10% golden share for the DRC government and follows a $3.5 million grant secured in 2024. Once operational in 2027, the facility is projected to produce 30,000 tons of copper cathode and 5,000 tons of cobalt sulfate annually, signalling a major step toward localising production of key transition minerals.
Mali, Africa’s second-largest gold producer, also broke ground on a new gold refinery in June near Bamako. Developed through a public-private partnership involving the Malian government, Russia’s Yadran Group, and a Swiss investor, the facility will process up to 200 tons of gold annually. It is expected to boost tax revenue, curb illicit gold trade and enhance local beneficiation. These efforts will be featured prominently during the Ministerial Forum at AMW, which will highlight policy frameworks and incentives driving beneficiation across the continent.
In Angola, work is nearing completion on the country’s first gold refinery, located in Luanda. Now 70% built, the $5 million plant is expected to begin operations by year-end, with a daily production target of 50 kilograms. The refinery is part of Angola’s 2023–2027 Sectoral Development Plan and aligns with the government’s broader agenda to diversify the economy beyond oil while creating jobs and expanding export capacity. Angola’s opportunities across the mining value chain will be spotlighted at AMW’s Invest in Angola session.
Zambia, meanwhile, is making strides to strengthen copper refining capacity as part of its ambition to reach 3.1 million tons in annual output by 2031. Canada’s Jubilee Metals is expanding its Sable Copper Refinery with a second tank-house, which will increase monthly throughput to 500–550 tons. The expansion, due for completion in the first quarter of 2026, underlines Zambia’s shift toward value-added processing.
AMW will explore this and other initiatives through a dedicated panel session, Elevating Africa’s Mineral Wealth: Case Studies in Local Beneficiation – Value Addition and Industrialisation. As countries across Africa accelerate their transition from exporters of raw minerals to producers of refined products, the continent’s downstream mining sector is positioning itself as a driver of industrial growth and long-term economic transformation.
