Africa · Western Key Facts —China-Africa trade. Bilateral trade reached US$295.6 billion in 2024, dwarfing Russia-Africa trade of US$24.5 billion. —Lithium surge. Africa’s share of global lithium production jumped from 0.1 percent in 2019 to 10.6 percent in 2025. —DRC economic weight. Afreximbank projects the DRC will become sub-Saharan Africa’s fifth-largest economy in 2026, with GDP of roughly US$123 billion. —Critical mineral share. Sub-Saharan Africa holds more than 30 percent of global critical mineral value, according to a Cambridge study. —Beneficiation push. Governments are demanding local refining, smelting and processing …
Africa
Africa & Latin America
Ghana, Namibia and DR Congo Push to Refine Africa’s Minerals
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July 16, 2026
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8 min read
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