As demand surges globally for critical minerals, southern Africa is seeing a sharp rise in mining investment – and with it, a wave of opportunities for project cargo operators.
“The project landscape in southern Africa is fairly robust and showing steady momentum,” said Duncan Bonnett, partner at Africa House.
"There’s significant investment going into minerals, particularly energy minerals like lithium, copper, cobalt and manganese as well as rare earths. It’s likely far more widespread than most people realise. There’s certainly no shortage of mining projects.”
He said while Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remained hotspots, significant developments were also under way in Namibia, Botswana and even Malawi, where around 20 mining projects were progressing through early feasibility stages towards construction.
“Countries like Tanzania, Mozambique and Zimbabwe are also seeing increased mining investment.”
He added that Mozambique presented major opportunities for project cargo, with strong indications that TotalEnergies would resume construction before the end of the year, following a suspension due to security concerns in Cabo Delgado.
“That alone is a R20-billion project, and all the signals suggest it’s moving ahead this year. It’s not a short-term undertaking, and on top of that, there’s the Chevron-led gas project, which is expected to reach final investment decision next year. We’re likely looking at two massive gas developments overlapping, which will create a sustained and significant demand for project cargo.”
The surge in mining activity has been driving a parallel boom in energy infrastructure, particularly in renewables. Across the region, there has been a noticeable pivot away from traditional grid power, with solar, wind and battery storage projects on the rise.
“This shift is being built into the business case of mines and not just for new developments, but for existing operations as well. Mining companies are increasingly taking energy matters into their own hands by investing in dedicated power generation,” said Bonnett.
- Read the full article in our Freight Features edition on “Project Cargo.”
