{"id":5711,"date":"2026-02-17T06:23:32","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T06:23:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/?p=5711"},"modified":"2026-03-05T14:39:34","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T14:39:34","slug":"silver-linings-mining-opportunities-for-africa-in-an-unstable-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/silver-linings-mining-opportunities-for-africa-in-an-unstable-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Silver Linings: Mining Opportunities for Africa in an Unstable World"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-path-to-node=\"1\"><span data-path-to-node=\"1,1\"><span class=\"citation-197\">The <\/span><span class=\"citation-197\">Investing in African Mining Indaba 2026<\/span><span class=\"citation-197\">, currently taking place at the CTICC in Cape Town, hosted a spirited and novel debate on its second day<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"1,3\">. <\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"1,5\"><span class=\"citation-196\">While conventional wisdom suggests that Africa faces significant geopolitical &#8220;headwinds&#8221;\u2014including tariffs, immigration curbs, and growing nationalism\u2014industry experts suggest this global disorder may actually present a significant upside for the continent<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"1,7\">.<\/span><\/p><div class=\"03bb5c02e2f58c6bb7f372bc13011e34\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:10px 0 10px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size:10px;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-8677361123316975\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ZXZ -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8677361123316975\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3054782407\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br><br \/>\n<\/div>\n\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"2\"><\/h3>\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"2\">The Geopolitical Power Play<\/h3>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"3\"><span data-path-to-node=\"3,1\"><span class=\"citation-195\">Moderated by Rohitesh Dhawan, CEO of the International Council on Mining and Metals, the debate featured two teams of mining opinion leaders offering competing views on Africa&#8217;s future<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"3,3\">. <\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"3,5\"><span class=\"citation-194\">Using a &#8220;politician&#8217;s rule&#8221; where speakers didn&#8217;t necessarily have to believe their own arguments, the session highlighted a critical consensus: Africa is powerfully positioned to benefit from its rich critical-minerals endowment<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"3,7\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"5\"><span data-path-to-node=\"5,0\"><span class=\"citation-193\">Ronak Gopaldas<\/span><span class=\"citation-193\">, director at Signal Risk, offered a sobering take on the return of power politics<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"5,2\">. <\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"5,4\"><span class=\"citation-192\">He argued that without collective bargaining and regional solidarity, African nations risk being &#8220;rule takers rather than rule makers&#8221; in an environment where economic and military might are paramount<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"5,6\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"6\"><\/h3>\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"6\">Africa\u2019s Competitive Edge: Resources and Youth<\/h3>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"7\"><span data-path-to-node=\"7,1\"><span class=\"citation-191\">On the optimistic side, <\/span><span class=\"citation-191\">Mpumi Zikalala<\/span><span class=\"citation-191\">, CEO of Kumba Iron Ore, underscored the &#8220;undeniable reality&#8221; of Africa&#8217;s leverage<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"7,3\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul data-path-to-node=\"8\">\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"8,0,1\"><span data-path-to-node=\"8,0,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"8,0,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"><span class=\"citation-190\">Mineral Wealth:<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-190\"> Africa holds approximately <\/span><span class=\"citation-190\">40% of the world&#8217;s proven critical-mineral reserves<\/span><\/span>.<\/p><div class=\"03bb5c02e2f58c6bb7f372bc13011e34\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:10px 0 10px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size:10px;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-8677361123316975\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ZXZ -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8677361123316975\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3054782407\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br><br \/>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"8,1,1\"><span data-path-to-node=\"8,1,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"8,1,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"><span class=\"citation-189\">Youth Dividend:<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-189\"> The continent possesses the youngest population on the planet, providing a massive, trainable workforce to meet long-term development and mineral demands<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"8,1,1,2\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"8,2,1\"><span data-path-to-node=\"8,2,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"8,2,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"><span class=\"citation-188\">Strategic Investment:<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-188\"> Techmet CEO Brian Menell noted that the US, Europe, and Japan are already committing capital to derisk investments and transform supply chains, which he believes assures Africa\u2019s position as a winner<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"8,2,1,2\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"source-inline-chip-container ng-star-inserted\"><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"10\">The Governance Challenge<\/h3>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"11\"><span data-path-to-node=\"11,1\"><span class=\"citation-187\">Despite the optimism regarding geological wealth, experts agreed that &#8220;geology is not destiny&#8221;<\/span><\/span>. <span class=\"citation-186\">Gracelin Baskaran<\/span><span class=\"citation-186\"> of the Center for Strategic and International Studies emphasized that Africa must master the &#8220;third G&#8221;\u2014<\/span><span class=\"citation-186\">Governance<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"12\">To seize the current opportunity, panelists suggested that the continent must address:<\/p>\n<ul data-path-to-node=\"13\">\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"13,0,1\"><span data-path-to-node=\"13,0,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"13,0,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"><span class=\"citation-185\">Policy Coherence:<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-185\"> Overcoming issues like resource nationalism and double taxation that deter global exploration projects<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"13,0,1,2\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"13,1,1\"><span data-path-to-node=\"13,1,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"13,1,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"><span class=\"citation-184\">Regional Integration:<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-184\"> Rather than every country attempting to build its own infrastructure, it makes more sense to build regional refineries served by aligned policies<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"13,1,1,2\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p id=\"p-rc_396254ee5831b946-90\" data-path-to-node=\"14\"><span data-path-to-node=\"14,1\"><span class=\"citation-183\">Ultimately, the debate concluded that while the geopolitical climate is turbulent, the global need for resources for the energy transition and robotics makes Africa an indispensable player<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"14,3\">. <\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"14,5\"><span class=\"citation-182\">As Dhawan noted, even in times of turmoil, the opportunities for the continent remain &#8220;exciting&#8221;<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"14,7\">.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Investing in African Mining Indaba 2026, currently taking place at the CTICC in Cape Town, hosted a spirited and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[190],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5711","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mining"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5711","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5711"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5711\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5732,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5711\/revisions\/5732"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5711"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5711"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5711"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}