Europe’s drive to secure strategic supply chains for the energy transition has intensified in recent months. In November 2025, a landmark agreement between the European Union and South Africa marked a significant shift: instead of exporting raw ore, African nations and European partners will focus on processing and adding value on African soil. The pact – one of the clearest indications yet of a renewed EU–Africa resource strategy – is reshaping long-standing supply-chain dynamics.

Under the agreement, the EU is committing €750-million in new investments through its Global Gateway program, pledging to channel funds into infrastructure, clean energy deployment and industrialization projects in Africa. On the South African side, the plan calls for domestic processing of extracted minerals, so that exported materials leave the continent as refined metals or precursor components rather than unprocessed ore. 

At the same time, structural changes in major supply hubs – such as the Democratic Republic of Congo – signal shifting market dynamics. The country’s state mining company recently formed a joint venture with Swiss multinational Mercuria Energy Trading to enhance transparency, control and value retention across its copper, cobalt, and other critical-mineral output. The move reflects increasing pressure on resource-rich nations to move beyond the traditional model of exporting raw materials with minimal domestic benefit.

These developments come against a backdrop of surging global demand for battery metals, rare earths and other critical minerals essential to electric vehicles, renewable energy, digital technologies and green infrastructure. For Europe, diversifying away from a reliance on a few processing hubs – many of them concentrated in Asia – has become a strategic imperative. For Africa, the promise is industrialization, job creation, technology transfer and a fairer share of global mineral value.

Yet the shift is not purely about economics or supply security. It also reflects a widening recognition on both sides of the Mediterranean that sustainable development, clean energy transition and long-term resilience require deeper collaboration. The new EU–Africa mineral partnerships integrate refining and processing capacity with clean energy infrastructure and broader industrial planning, aligning resource strategies with climate, trade and development policy aims.

Scheduled for the 2026 edition of the Invest in African Energy (IAE) Forum in Paris, a discussion on “Partnerships in the Age of Africa–Europe Critical Minerals Relations” arrives at a moment when policy, finance and industrial intent are beginning to align, yet practical implementation remains uncertain. Key questions remain: how to structure offtake agreements that fairly balance risk and reward; which financing models can scale processing capacity while ensuring sustainability; and what regulatory frameworks can support transparent, accountable and climate-aligned mineral value chains.

By bringing together African governments, European regulators and private-sector investors, IAE 2026 provides a timely forum to address these challenges. It has the potential to turn high-level commitments into actionable roadmaps, outlining concrete pathways for refining, precursor manufacturing, clean energy integration and export infrastructure.

IAE 2026 is an exclusive forum designed to connect African energy markets with global investors, serving as a key platform for deal-making in the lead-up to African Energy Week. Scheduled for April 22–23, 2026, in Paris, the event will provide delegates with two days of in-depth engagement with industry experts, project developers, investors and policymakers. For more information, visit www.invest-africa-energy.com. To sponsor or register as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com