
US–China Race for Africa’s Minerals Heats Up in Namibia and Niger
The US–China race for Africa’s minerals intensifies as Washington pursues offtake deals in Namibia and uranium-rich Niger becomes a geopolitical...
July 15, 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.

The US–China race for Africa’s minerals intensifies as Washington pursues offtake deals in Namibia and uranium-rich Niger becomes a geopolitical...
July 15, 2026
Qatar commits roughly $21 billion to the DRC and takes a $500 million stake in Ivanhoe Mines, signalling a new...
July 15, 2026
From the DRC to the Sahel, resource-for-security deals exchanging critical minerals for military protection are redrawing alliances. The US, Russia...
July 15, 2026
Kenya restructures $3.5bn Chinese railway loans into yuan while courting UAE capital for ports and rail, signalling a multi-polar infrastructure...
July 15, 2026
The DRC replaced its cobalt export ban with strict quotas of 96,600 tons annually from 2026, aiming to force China...
July 15, 2026
South Africa coalition fears erase 1.7% from the rand and hit bonds after ANC’s 39.7% vote share forces talks with...
July 15, 2026
Africa Intelligence Brief July 15 — Weary resilience grips Africa as Sudan's hunger crisis deepens and a migrant tragedy strikes...
July 15, 2026
Chinese yuan reserves — Angola’s central bank has added the Chinese yuan as a fourth eligible currency for bank reserve...
July 14, 2026
Africa Intelligence Brief July 14 — From Nigeria's Benue massacre to Sudan's El Obeid horror and South African xenophobic marches,...
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