African Pulse
The “African Pulse” monthly will feature studies of strategic and economic security related developments in Africa which are of significant interest to India. This issue features a detailed examination of “The Silent Scramble for Africa’s Critical Minerals”.
Critical minerals have recently surged in global headlines, as nations engage in an intensifying scramble to secure value chains central to their green transition and technological advancement. This “race” is driven as much by the urgency of climate goals as by the imperatives of economic competitiveness and national security in an increasingly technology-driven world.
China has seized an early lead in this domain and today holds a near-monopoly over both critical minerals and rare earth elements. This heavy dependence on a single country source creates vulnerabilities and opens the door to strategic and economic coercion. Indeed, there have been recent instances where China has abruptly halted or restricted the supply of key minerals, affecting major global actors including the United States, the European Union, and India.
In response, countries are now actively working to reduce dependencies, bolster domestic capabilities, and forge resilient, transnational partnerships. The United States, the EU, and India are among those taking decisive steps to diversify supply chains and secure critical resources. A parallel effort is underway to build strategic partnerships with Africa - home to an abundance of untapped mineral wealth - aligned with both developmental priorities and global demand.
Across Africa, there are early signs of a paradigm shift. The aim is to move beyond the historic “pit-to-port” extractive model and towards “beneficiation”, value addition that contributes meaningfully to local economies and sustainable development. Several African countries have initiated policies in this direction. At the regional level, greater emphasis is being placed on intra-African collaboration, leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to enhance bargaining power in global negotiations.
South Africa’s G20 presidency has further amplified this agenda, identifying beneficiation as a core theme of this year’s summit, under the banner of Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability. This aligns closely with the African Union’s Africa Mining Vision, which underscores inclusive and sustainable mineral development as a pathway to transforming Africa into a global economic powerhouse.
The authors conclude that the road ahead remains challenging. The success of this transition will ultimately hinge on the political will and governance capacity of African nations to operationalise the vision, ensuring that resource wealth becomes a catalyst for equitable and enduring development, rather than a source of conflict or chronic dependency.
To read this African Pulse, Vol. I, Issue 1, please see the PDF attached.
