Maximising on Africa’s critical mineral endowment | Mining Indaba Insights 2025

In this episode, TDi's CEO Assheton Stewart Carter talks to three representatives from different parts of the mining industry, who will all be speaking at the 2025 Mining Indaba in Cape Town, on maximising Africa's critical mineral endowment.

The panelists are:
Gareth Walsh | Director - Climate and Energy Advisory, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change
Dr Theophilus Archeampong | Visiting Fellow, European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)
George Bennett | CEO, Rainbow Rare Earths

The speakers discuss how African countries can be positioned as a partner of choice in the energy transition and what needs to be done to ensure Africa becomes a global minerals leader and future-proof its mining industry. 

Chapters

• 2:13 How critical are critical minerals to Africa's energy transition? Are those demanded globally the same critical minerals that are required by Africa for its own transition?
• 5:24 Should we be framing the discussion around critical minerals for energy or critical minerals for Africa's industrialisation or decarbonisation?
• 8:04 Where do rare earth elements sit on the priority critical mineral list globally and across Africa?
• 11:32 Will Africa automatically benefit from its critical minerals, or what needs to happen to make sure that it does?
• 15:25 Gareth's views
• 17:00 George's comment
• 18:57 Who is willing to pay a premium for the decarbonisation of these supply chains and where will the finance come from?
• 24:41 Will the defence industry be a stronger off-taker willing to pay higher premiums for security of supply?
• 28:35 What's your view on the value addition that African countries should invest in, in value chains?
• 30:50 What experience can we draw on to enable the development of economic corridors?
• 36:55 Does the artisanal and small-scale mining sector have a part to play in critical mineral development in Africa?
• 37:57 Do you have any final comments - what else needs to be done to ensure that African nations can benefit from the clean energy transition in Africa?