Africa’s quiet scramble for rare earth dominance is gathering pace, as a new industry release warns that global demand for the critical minerals could triple within a decade, pushing the continent into sharper geopolitical focus.
The release by Energy Capital & Power, projects global demand to rise from about 91,000 tons in 2024 to roughly 150,000 tons by 2035, powered by the global shift toward electric vehicles, renewable energy and high-tech manufacturing. Africa, long viewed as a future supplier, could account for nearly 9% of global output by 2029 as exploration momentum builds.
Across the continent, drill rigs are returning to life. In Angola, Pensana is preparing a 7,000-meter infill drilling campaign at the Longonjo Mine, targeting production as early as 2027. At full scale, the project could supply roughly 5% of the world’s magnetic rare earths, potentially placing Angola on the global critical minerals map.
Botswana is also seeing renewed interest, with Tsodilo Resources planning a major drilling programme at the Gcwihaba project, while Kavango Resources pushes ahead with exploration at Ditau. South Africa’s Phalaborwa project is moving toward feasibility studies, Namibia continues fieldwork at multiple prospects, and Mozambique’s Monte Muambe project is advancing after defining a sizeable resource estimate.
Energy Capital & Power notes that although many projects remain in early development stages, investor appetite is rising fast. South Africa’s high-grade Steenkampskraal Monazite Mine secured development funding in 2025, while Malawi’s Songwe Hill project attracted millions in financing to advance engineering work. Combined, Africa’s critical minerals sector could draw as much as $50 billion in investment between 2024 and 2040.
Yet beyond the numbers lies a deeper shift. Governments and developers are racing to convert geological promise into real output, aiming to shorten project timelines and strengthen Africa’s position in supply chains increasingly shaped by energy transition politics.
Energy Capital & Power said the upcoming African Mining Week in Cape Town later this year will serve as a key platform for investors, regulators and developers to showcase progress and negotiate new partnerships as Africa seeks to turn exploration momentum into production reality.
