By: Energy capital & power

The copper industry represents the next major growth frontier for Africa’s mining sector, according to Atul Arya, Senior Vice President and Chief Energy Strategist at S&P Global Commodity Insights In an interview at African Mining Week in Cape Town last week, Arya described copper as a “game-changing opportunity” for Africa to attract new investment, driven by rising global demand linked to technological advancement He explained that copper is the foundation for AI and is essential for many other applications, creating significant opportunities for investors, particularly in Zambia and the DRC, which also holds vast cobalt resources

Other trends shaping Africa’s mining outlook include regulatory reforms, a stronger focus on local beneficiation, regional cooperation on energy and transport infrastructure and the adoption of AI to streamline exploration Arya also forecast an increase in British investment across Africa’s mining sector, spurred by ongoing regulatory reforms in the UK designed to facilitate company expansion into African markets He noted there is growing competition not only among companies entering Africa but also among African countries themselves over how they build relationships, adding that the US administration is intensifying its focus on Africa’s critical minerals for both energy and defense as it diversifies away from China Arya emphasized that one of the biggest challenges for Africa’s mineral-rich countries will be deciding where to focus their efforts, given the wide range of mineral prospects available