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African nations are signalling to Australia that they are open for strategic partnerships aimed at capturing greater value from the continent’s mineral wealth. Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Australia, Joe Tapera Mhishi, says aligning foreign investment with local industrialisation is now a priority.
By Ryan Chigoche
Speaking at the Africa Down Under conference in Australia, Mhishi highlighted Africa’s renewed focus on value addition, a trend reinforced by rising resource nationalism.
“The subject of value addition across Africa, not only in mining but in many other sectors, has gained credence,” he said. “Africa says we are there to play with you, to add value to that vision … if we can also address value addition in our respective jurisdictions,” Mhishi said.
Across the continent, new mining codes are giving governments stronger regulatory control, higher taxes, and stricter local content requirements.
West Africa, for example, has seen several regulatory reforms designed to ensure that mineral exports translate into domestic economic benefits.
Analysts say Africa’s critical minerals sector offers immense opportunities for investors willing to engage in downstream processing.
The global push for the energy transition is driving a scramble for these minerals, and African countries are increasingly focused on capturing more of that value domestically.
This makes partnerships with countries like Australia, which has deep expertise in mining and processing, particularly attractive.
Projects like Guinea’s Simandou iron-ore venture and Ghana’s planned lithium mines demonstrate both the scale of investment potential and the possibility for local industrialisation.
Several African countries beyond the DRC—including Zimbabwe, Namibia, Ghana, and Mali—host lithium resources at various stages of development, positioning the continent as a key player in the global minerals supply chain.
These developments signal that Africa is seeking to capture more value within its borders while remaining attractive to foreign investors.
Governments, investors, and local communities are increasingly emphasising collaboration and shared value as key to unlocking Africa’s resource potential.
Strategic partnerships, particularly with countries like Australia, are seen as crucial to moving the continent beyond exporting raw materials toward fully integrated value chains.
