
Zimbabwe’s Mining Exports Doubled. Its Reserves Still Cover 1.7 Months of Imports
Zimbabwe mining exports reached US$6.21bn in the first half of 2026, up 121%, but usable reserves of US$1.7bn covered only...
August 21, 2026Africa holds the minerals the energy transition cannot happen without: more than two-thirds of the world’s cobalt in the Democratic Republic of Congo, vast copper in the DRC and Zambia, lithium in Zimbabwe, plus manganese, graphite and the rare earths every great power now wants to control. The Rio Times tracks the mines, deals, export rules and the contest among China, the US and the Gulf for Africa’s critical-minerals supply chain – and what it means for resource-rich Latin America, which faces the same price-taker-or-leverage choice. This hub gathers our coverage of Africa’s minerals economy.

Zimbabwe mining exports reached US$6.21bn in the first half of 2026, up 121%, but usable reserves of US$1.7bn covered only...
August 21, 2026
Africa Intelligence Brief for August 20: Ghana's central bank received US$399 million of bids against US$125 million on offer, and...
August 20, 2026
Nigeria ports and rail links are the missing piece around the Dangote refinery. A US$45.3 million line to four Lagos...
August 20, 2026
Republic of the Congo oil contracts get a single US$90-a-barrel windfall trigger for their full term, under four bills approved...
August 20, 2026
Liberia agreed to accept up to 1,200 foreign deportees from the United States. The first group of 20 is due...
August 20, 2026
The Ghana cedi gained about 7 percent against the dollar in a week on the interbank market. The rate people...
August 20, 2026
The Central Corridor is the rail and road route from Dar es Salaam to the Congolese copper belt. Both governments...
August 20, 2026
South Africa unemployment rose to 33.6 percent in the second quarter, up 0.9 points. On the wider measure that counts...
August 20, 2026
Africa Intelligence Brief August 19: South African inflation fell to 4.3% in July as a Nairobi court heard 121 charges...
August 19, 2026Brazil runoff date: Sunday, October 25, poll closing times and when results start · Brazil runoff polls: Flávio 51%, Lula 49% · Kalshi and Polymarket odds