Critical Minerals in Africa: The US-China Race for Cobalt, Copper and Influence in Africa

The United States and China are competing for access to Africa’s critical minerals, from cobalt in the Democratic Republic of Congo to copper in Zambia. But as global powers race for Africa’s strategic resources, is the continent winning the new battle for geopolitical influence?Africa holds vast reserves of minerals critical to defense, electronics and the global energy transition. As demand for cobalt, copper, rare earths and other strategic resources grows, so does the competition between the US and China for access, investment and influence across the continent.In this episode of Corporate Cocktail Africa, Bright Simons and George Mukundi debate who stands to benefit from Africa’s critical mineral wealth and whether African countries can turn resource abundance into economic and geopolitical power.They examine the relationship between critical minerals, conflict and governance; the future of mining and foreign investment in Africa; the role of Western powers and China in resource development; and whether countries such as the DRC and Zambia can capture more value from their natural resources.The bigger question: will Africa shape the terms of the new critical minerals economy, or once again become the source of resources for someone else’s global competition?