African producers could gain greater strategic importance after G7 leaders adopted a new critical minerals strategy aimed at reducing dependence on dominant suppliers and diversifying global supply chains.
The declaration, adopted at the G7 summit in Evian, France, on June 17, introduces new targets designed to strengthen supply-chain resilience for minerals essential to clean energy technologies, advanced manufacturing and defence industries. According to the G7 declaration, the initiative reflects growing concern among G7 economies about concentrated supply chains and the risks they pose to economic security.
For Africa, the declaration is significant because industrialised economies are actively seeking alternative mineral suppliers at a time when many African countries are demanding greater local processing, value addition and industrial development from mining investments. As competition for critical minerals intensifies, resource-rich African nations could find themselves in a stronger negotiating position than during previous commodity booms.
The declaration marks one of the clearest signals yet that advanced economies are moving from recognising supply-chain vulnerabilities to actively restructuring critical mineral networks. For African producers, that shift could create new opportunities to attract investment from competing blocs seeking secure access to strategic resources.
G7 moves to diversify mineral supply chains
The Group of Seven, comprising Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, has introduced some of its most concrete commitments yet on critical mineral security.
Under the declaration, member countries aim to reduce dependence on any single supplier of rare earths and permanent magnets to below 60 percent by 2030, with a longer-term ambition of lowering that figure to 50 percent as soon as possible.
Although China is not explicitly named in the document, the targets are widely viewed as a response to Beijing’s dominant position in critical mineral supply chains. China accounts for more than 60 percent of global rare earth production and an even larger share of processing and refining capacity.
According to the declaration, the G7 also launched a new Critical Minerals Alliance to coordinate investment, strengthen supply-chain resilience and improve responses to market disruptions.
The initiative will support strategic stockpiles, recycling programmes, traceability measures and consideration of additional policy tools aimed at strengthening supply-chain security. The alliance will also be open to like-minded partner countries, potentially creating a pathway for African governments to participate more directly in future discussions on mineral supply-chain security.
Africa becomes strategic battleground
Africa hosts some of the world’s largest reserves of cobalt, manganese, graphite, copper, lithium, platinum group metals and rare earth elements, making the continent increasingly important to efforts by advanced economies to diversify mineral supply chains. This growing importance reflects Africa’s growing influence in critical mineral supply chains, as governments and investors seek alternatives to concentrated supply networks.
As governments and companies seek alternatives to concentrated supply networks, African producers are expected to attract growing strategic attention.
The G7 reported that member states and partner countries have launched 195 critical mineral initiatives since the beginning of 2026, representing approximately €64bn in investments through financing arrangements, equity participation and offtake agreements. The figure highlights the scale of resources governments and companies are now willing to deploy to secure access to minerals considered essential for energy security, defence industries and advanced manufacturing.
Several African projects have already become focal points in efforts to diversify global supply chains. The trend is particularly visible in DRC’s efforts to attract Western critical minerals investment, alongside rare earth developments in Namibia and emerging projects in Angola and Malawi targeting Western markets.
Countries likely to benefit from growing demand for diversified supply include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Namibia, Angola, Malawi, Tanzania and South Africa, all of which possess significant critical mineral resources.
The beneficiation challenge
For many African governments, attracting investment is only part of the objective.
Across the continent, policymakers have become increasingly focused on beneficiation, local processing and downstream manufacturing rather than exporting raw materials with limited domestic value creation. The shift mirrors Africa’s push for local mineral processing and value addition, which many governments see as essential to capturing a larger share of the value chain.
Countries including Namibia, Zimbabwe and Tanzania have introduced policies designed to encourage greater domestic processing before export.
While the G7 declaration refers to support for local value creation, it provides few details on how producing countries will participate in higher-value stages of supply chains. That uncertainty is likely to become a central issue in future negotiations between African governments and international investors.
Many policymakers are expected to seek commitments that include technology transfer, workforce development, refining capacity and industrial expansion alongside mining investment.
Debate over mineral pricing
The declaration also highlights several policy options that could reshape critical mineral markets in the years ahead.
Among the proposals under consideration are strategic stockpiles, coordinated purchasing arrangements and possible minimum-price mechanisms for certain minerals.
Supporters argue that price floors could improve the viability of projects operating outside dominant supply chains, helping to encourage investment in alternative production centres, including some African jurisdictions.
However, the proposal remains under discussion and significant differences appear to remain among G7 members regarding implementation.
A new geopolitical contest
The declaration underscores how critical minerals have become a central issue in global economic and strategic competition.
Beijing has consistently rejected Western criticism of its role in critical mineral markets, arguing that its dominance reflects decades of investment, technological development and market competitiveness rather than unfair practices.
For African countries, the emerging environment presents both opportunities and risks.
Greater international interest could bring investment, infrastructure and industrial development. Yet policymakers will also seek assurances that partnerships support local employment, technology transfer and long-term economic transformation.
African governments have heard similar promises before. Previous commodity booms generated substantial export revenues but often failed to create significant local industrial capacity. Analysts say the success of the latest push will depend on whether investment extends beyond extraction into refining, processing and manufacturing.
The emergence of competing supply-chain blocs could also strengthen Africa’s bargaining power. With both G7 economies and China seeking reliable access to strategic minerals, governments may have greater scope to negotiate terms that include local processing, infrastructure investment and industrial development. The trend also aligns with the rise of resource nationalism across Africa, as governments seek a greater share of the benefits generated by their mineral wealth.
Kenyan President William Ruto, who attended the summit as a partner leader, emphasised the importance of local processing and value addition, reflecting concerns shared across the continent.
As competition for critical minerals increasingly defines economic and geopolitical strategy, African governments may find themselves holding greater influence over global supply chains than at any point in recent decades.
Credit: Afribriefing
