Africa hosts an estimated US$29.5 trillion in mine-site mineral value, representing about 20% of global mineral wealth, yet captures only a fraction of the economic value embedded in this endowment, a new study released yesterday by Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has shown.
Of this total, US$8.6 trillion remains undeveloped, reflecting an under-explored continent where fragmented geological data, uneven coverage, and limited transparency continue to elevate risk perception and constrain investment.
The report stated that improving geological data availability and quality is a necessary first step to de-risk projects and unlock exploration capital.
The study also stresses that mine-site values significantly understate Africa’s true potential by failing to capture the far larger value created when minerals are processed into steel, aluminium, fertilisers, batteries and alloys. Measured at the point of industrial use, Africa’s mineral endowment expands by an order of magnitude–revealing substantial latent value.
