CURRENT AFFAIRS
FROM G20 MOMENTUM TO AFRICA’ S MINERALS FUTURE
BY TARRYN-LEIGH SOLOMONS
A DAY AFTER SOUTH AFRICA OFFICIALLY CONCLUDED ITS G20 PRESIDENCY, THE FOCUS SHIFTED TO THE CONTINENT’ S UPCOMING SIGNIFICANT EVENT: MINING INDABA 2026 IN CAPE TOWN.
Mining Indaba 2026 will be vital in turning high-level discussions about Africa’ s mineral future into tangible industrial results, according to a statement from the Mining Indaba team.
On 18 November 2025, the Department of Minerals and Petroleum Resources( DMPR), in partnership with the UN Development Programme( UNDP) and Mining Indaba, hosted a highlevel dialogue in Johannesburg that brought together CEOs, development partners, and key stakeholders across the mineral value chain.
Centred on the theme,‘ Harnessing Critical Minerals for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development’, the dialogue set the tone for a week of focused discussions on Africa’ s mineral sovereignty, value-chain development, and competitiveness in a rapidly evolving global minerals economy.
Minister of Minerals and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, delivered one of his most potent speeches on Africa’ s role in the global minerals race. He emphasised that the global economy is undergoing a significant structural shift.
“ Critical minerals now sit at the heart of geopolitics and industrial policy – and if managed effectively, this demand could be a game-changer in tackling global inequality,” he said.
Mantashe reminded delegates that Africa possesses 30 % of the world’ s known reserves of strategic minerals, including platinum group metals, manganese, iron ore, chrome, cobalt, lithium, graphite, and rare earths. Nevertheless, the continent continues to export raw ore while importing finished products at considerable expense.
“ We cannot continue with pit-to-port models,” he warned, echoing the 2026 Mining Indaba theme,‘ Stronger Together, Progress Through Partnerships’.“ Africa must act as a team if we want to move up the value chain.”
A G20 FRAMEWORK WITH A DISTINCTLY AFRICAN IMPRINT
Under South Africa’ s leadership, the G20 adopted a Critical Minerals Framework that reflects African priorities. Built around six pillars – exploration financing, governance and standards, value addition, resilient supply chains, innovation and circularity, and skills development –
14 INBOUND SA / JANUARY 2026