By Suleman Chitera
Malawi’s Minister of Mining, Jean Mathanga, has welcomed renewed calls for unity and strategic collaboration among African nations to accelerate the development of the continent’s mining sector, describing the approach as critical to transforming Africa’s mineral wealth into broad-based economic growth.
Mathanga was speaking in reaction to keynote addresses delivered at the official opening of the African Mining Indaba 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa — one of the continent’s premier mining investment and policy platforms, which draws heads of state, ministers, investors and industry leaders from across the globe.
Shift from Competition to Collaboration
In his keynote address, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema urged African countries to abandon fragmented, competitive approaches that often weaken bargaining power and instead pursue coordinated strategies in mineral development.
Hichilema emphasized that Africa, which holds vast reserves of critical minerals essential for the global energy transition, must leverage collective strength to secure fairer investment terms, promote value addition, and retain greater economic benefits within the continent.
“Africa must not compete against itself,” Hichilema stressed, arguing that collaboration in policy alignment, infrastructure development and market positioning would unlock shared prosperity and long-term sustainability.
Echoing similar sentiments, South Africa’s Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, called for deeper cooperation in the governance and management of Africa’s mineral resources. He highlighted the need for African governments to harmonize regulatory frameworks, strengthen geological data systems, and collectively negotiate in global mineral markets to avoid a race to the bottom.
Malawi’s Position
Reacting to the messages, Mathanga said Malawi aligns fully with the continental push for unity, noting that isolated national strategies are insufficient in a rapidly evolving global minerals market dominated by large economies and multinational corporations.
She reaffirmed Malawi’s commitment to advancing mining sector development through regional and continental platforms such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union Mining Ministers’ Forum.
“Malawi believes that working together as African nations enhances our ability to attract responsible investment, promote value addition and ensure that our mineral resources contribute meaningfully to socio-economic development,” Mathanga said.
She added that Malawi is particularly interested in regional collaboration on geological surveys, mineral value chains, infrastructure corridors and policy harmonization, especially as demand grows globally for critical minerals used in renewable energy technologies and electric vehicles.
Value Addition and Industrialisation
A key theme emerging from the Indaba is the push for in-country beneficiation and industrialisation rather than exporting raw minerals. African leaders argued that the continent must move beyond being a supplier of unprocessed raw materials and instead build refining, processing and manufacturing capacity.
Mathanga indicated that Malawi is reviewing policies aimed at promoting local value addition and strengthening linkages between mining and other sectors of the economy, including manufacturing and energy.
She noted that regional cooperation could help smaller economies like Malawi overcome limitations in capital, technology and market access by pooling resources and coordinating infrastructure development.
Strategic Opportunity for Africa
Africa holds significant reserves of lithium, cobalt, copper, rare earth elements and other strategic minerals vital for the global green energy transition. However, experts warn that without coordinated policies and strong governance, the continent risks repeating historical patterns of resource extraction without sustainable development.
The 2026 African Mining Indaba has placed particular emphasis on sustainable mining, transparency, environmental stewardship and community participation — issues that Mathanga said Malawi is also prioritising.
“As Africa stands at the centre of the global energy transition, unity is no longer optional — it is strategic,” she said.
The Indaba continues this week with high-level discussions on investment, regulatory reform, critical minerals, infrastructure financing and sustainable mining practices.
