Online Reporter
Sikhulekelani Moyo, [email protected]
THE Southern African Development Community (SADC) says local processing and value addition of critical energy transition minerals offer the region its quickest pathway to industrialisation and economic diversification as global demand for minerals used in the green economy continues to rise.
The message was reaffirmed during the 9th SADC Industrialisation Week and Exhibition held recently in Durban, South Africa, under the theme, “Resilient, Sustainable and Inclusive Industrialisation through Infrastructure Development, Agricultural and Critical Minerals Transformation in Pursuit of a Just World.”
A major highlight of the event was a five-year regional initiative focused on developing responsible and inclusive value chains for energy transition minerals.
The project, funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and led by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), seeks to promote responsible mining practices and sustainable industrialisation across six SADC member states.
The programme is being implemented in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, countries endowed with significant deposits of cobalt, copper, lithium, manganese, platinum group metals and rare earth elements.
“From copper in Zambia, cobalt in the Democratic Republic of Congo, manganese in South Africa and lithium in Zimbabwe, the SADC region is key to a clean energy future and to green industrialisation around the world,” organisers noted.
UNECA Economic Affairs Officer Dr Oliver Maponga said the project is directly linked to broader efforts aimed at accelerating industrial development across the region.
“Our work, through the project on promoting ESG principles and responsible mining, directly contributes to sustainable industrialisation because environmental governance is critical in shaping industrial policy across the SADC region,” he said.
He said the responsible extraction, processing and beneficiation of critical energy transition minerals (CETMs) are essential for value chain development, industrial transformation and economic diversification.
The project is being implemented in partnership with the African union Commission’s African Minerals Development Centre, the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits Enterprise), WWF Germany, the German Federal
Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) and Projekt Consult GmbH.
Among its key objectives are the development of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)-compliant mining policies, strengthening environmental and climate monitoring systems, enhancing benefit-sharing mechanisms for mining communities and building local capacity in mineral-producing areas.
A high-level panel convened by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) under the theme “Towards Competitive and Resilient Industrialisation in
SADC” focused on improving policy alignment across governments, businesses, traders and mining communities.
Particular attention was given to the role of artisanal and small-scale miners in the supply chain of critical minerals.
“Artisanal and small-scale miners occupy important nodes in the supply of critical energy transition minerals as reliable sources of the minerals despite their technological, financial and skills limitations,” Dr Maponga said.
“We need to ensure that the benefits that result from responsible mining and processing of critical energy transition minerals trickle down to the entire mining value chain.”
Empowering artisanal and small-scale miners has also been identified as a key recommendation of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals, which advocates for a more inclusive approach to the global energy transition.
SADC Executive Secretary Mr Elias Magosi said the region possesses the natural resources, markets and strategic partnerships required to drive industrialisation, but stressed the need for greater investment in infrastructure, skills development and value addition.
He said transforming agricultural value chains and beneficiating critical energy transition minerals within the region would be vital in unlocking sustainable economic growth and creating jobs.
With global demand for minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare earth elements projected to rise sharply by 2030, SADC leaders believe the region must move beyond exporting raw materials and instead develop integrated value chains that retain more value locally.
They argue that increased local processing and beneficiation will be critical to transforming Southern Africa’s vast mineral wealth into new industries, employment opportunities and inclusive economic growth.
