South Africa seeks U.S. partnership for critical mineral processing

South Africa is seeking a critical minerals partnership with the United States to move beyond raw mineral exports and attract investment into local refining and processing. During the United Nations General Assembly, Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau proposed a joint investment platform and a bilateral working group to identify financing and supply opportunities. South Africa aims to position itself as a regional hub, connecting resources like Zambian copper, Congolese cobalt, and Zimbabwean lithium to international markets.

Simultaneously, regional leaders are emphasizing the need for policy convergence within the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Clemence Chiduwa, chairperson of the Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Industry and Commerce, noted that divergent national policies—such as varying tariffs and royalties—could hinder the establishment of cross-border mineral value chains. To address this, the African Institute of Environmental Law has proposed a hub-and-spoke model where SADC nations specialize in different stages of the manufacturing and processing cycle rather than attempting to build entire value chains independently.