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ARTICLE · 04 NOVEMBER 2025

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Critical Minerals – A Continental Lens

ENS
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Africa possesses a significant share of the minerals essential to the global shift towards clean energy - from platinum group metals ("PGMs")...

South AfricaEnergy and Natural Resources
Ntsiki Adonisi
Ntsiki Adonisi
Rachel Dagadu
Rachel Dagadu
Zinzi Lawrence
Zinzi Lawrence
Amarachukwu Odo
Amarachukwu Odo
Chimwemwe Tembo-Shula
Chimwemwe Tembo-Shula
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Africa possesses a significant share of the minerals essential to the global shift towards clean energy - from platinum group metals ("PGMs"), cobalt and copper to lithium. The core challenge is moving beyond extraction to develop integrated value chains, create jobs and share benefits equitably and sustainably. This article discusses how selected African jurisdictions define "critical minerals" and assess the strategies being adopted to unlock industrialisation and promote inclusive growth.

How selected jurisdictions define "critical"

Ghana

Ghana has no statutory definition or fixed list of "critical minerals". Policy references appear in the Minerals and Mining Policy and the 2023 Green Minerals Policy (awaiting parliamentary approval), which highlights battery‑related "green minerals" such as lithium, bauxite, manganese, nickel, copper, cobalt and graphite. In practice, Ghana's view of criticality extends beyond green minerals to resources essential to

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