Powering the Transition: How Africa’s Minerals and Energy Sectors Are Changing
Africa’s minerals and energy sector is at a crucial turning point. This shift is fueled by real investments in renewables, critical minerals, and gas infrastructure. Egypt is pushing forward with large-scale solar projects combined with battery storage. Zambia is recovering its copper production even with power limitations. Mozambique is making progress in offshore LNG. These developments show how various countries are handling the energy transition in their own ways. Together, they highlight both the opportunities and the challenges for African economies. The goal is to translate global demand for energy and minerals into dependable power systems, improved industrial capacity, and sustainable growth for all.
Africa’s minerals and energy sector is entering a crucial phase, shaped more by real projects, policy decisions, and global demand for essential resources than by abstract possibilities. In the past year, developments across various regions show how African countries are positioning themselves at the crossroads of energy access, decarbonization, and economic growth.
In North Africa, Egypt has become a testing ground for large-scale renewable energy combined with storage. In late 2025 and early 2026, the government finalized agreements for utility-scale solar projects integrated with battery energy storage systems. This includes a multi-gigawatt plan within an international developer, including Scatec. These projects aim to do more than just add megawatts; they seek to improve grid stability, reduce gas use during peak times, and support Egypt’s goal of becoming a regional clean-energy hub. The incorporation of local manufacturing for battery components in economic zones near the Suez Canal reflects a broader industrial strategy linked to energy infrastructure.
Further south, Zambia’s copper sector is gaining momentum. After years of underinvestment, a recovery in output is expected in 2024-2025 due to increased production from major mines and renewed interest from global producers in response to rising copper demand for electric vehicles, transmission lines, and renewable energy systems. However, power shortages caused by drought have highlighted a persistent issue: mining expansion relies on the energy systems that support it. This has sparked discussions about diversifying power generation beyond hydropower and speeding up investment in solar, storage, and regional power interconnections.
In Southern Africa's gas sector, Mozambique is progressing with offshore LNG developments. The approval of a second floating LNG project has solidified the country's position as a long-term gas supplier to global markets. While natural gas does not fit easily into global decarbonization narratives, Mozambique faces immediate priorities of fiscal stability, export revenues, and the uncertain potential to fund infrastructure, skills development, and overall economic diversification.
These developments paint a complex picture. Africa’s role in the global energy transition is not limited to providing raw materials or hosting renewable projects; it increasingly hinges on how countries blend energy planning, industrial policy, and governance. The opportunities are significant, but so are the risks—ranging from grid limitations and environmental issues to commodity price fluctuations and uneven local benefits.
The next chapter for Africa’s minerals and energy sector will be shaped not only by what gets built but by how well these projects turn into reliable power, resilient economies, and inclusive growth.