How to make the Africa Green Mineral Strategy work

BY KUDAKWASHE MANJONJO 

In March 2025, the African Union launched the Africa Green Minerals Strategy (AGMS). This milestone was made possible by the support of various pan-African institutions that strive to deliver equity, justice and prosperity for Africans.  

The real work starts now. 

The strategy’s vision is to harness “green mineral value chains for equitable industrialisation and electrification creating green technologies and sustainable development to enhance the quality of life of its people.” 

This strategy couldn’t have come at a better time. Foremost, global trade and tariff rules are changing. We are also seeing accelerated global demand for green minerals necessary for the energy transition.  

The European Union has the Green Deal. China has its Green Belt and Road Initiative. Even the US has the Green Deal.  

Africa boasts vast deposits of critical minerals such as cobalt, lithium, bauxite and manganese. The AGMS is, therefore, a timely response to other policies on green minerals developed elsewhere in the world.  

For a start, it correctly acknowledges that most global strategies have a critical minerals approach that prioritises ‘‘security of supply and offtake from producer countries”.  

Their approach is both contrary to Africa’s development needs and a threat to the continent’s industrialisation ambitions.  

The AGMS is anchored on four pillars, namely: 

• Advancing mineral development 

• Developing people and technological capability 

• Building key value-chains and  

• Mineral stewardship 

Each of these pillars attempts to address common challenges that limit Africa’s green industrialisation. Some of these hindrances are inadequate STEM skills, poor value chains, poor mining regulations and a lack of full circularity in the mining sector.  

One dynamic aspect of the strategy is the focus on how value chains accelerate Africa’s transition out of economic and energy poverty. This includes outlining the resource investments needed in transmission and distribution networks, electric vehicles (two and three wheelers highly popular in Africa) as well as the African potential for renewable energy development. 

In terms of power potential, the strategy aims to tap the 584 GW of unrealised large hydropower, and 7 900 GW of Solar PV. This staggering amount of energy would help to power large swathes of our continent that sadly lives in the dark.  

The strategy is a great platform to push forward Africa’s development agenda. But to do this, it is crucial to put the strategy into operation. There are two ways this could be done:  

Firstly, Africa must finalise the Africa Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) rules of origin for motor vehicles; clean energy sources (PVs, windmills, batteries, et al.) and mining inputs. 

This will increase intra-Africa trade and break down border trade barriers hence increase the economies of scale needed for Africa to compete globally.  

Secondly, it is important to develop an Africa-wide common external tariff for select green minerals inputs and outputs. Pan-African common tariffs will protect nascent African industries from outside competition.  

Additionally, this will boost mineral trade within the continent, facilitate metal processing and the manufacture of components for renewable energy technologies.    

There is a real opportunity for African governments, industry and civil society to play their part in bringing this transformative strategy to life. By working together, the full and effective implementation of the strategy is guaranteed.  

But the real work must start now. 

Kudakwashe Manjonjo is a just transitions advisor at Power Shift Africa