
A Gates- and Altman-Backed Miner Breaks Ground in Zambia
A new Zambia copper mine backed by Bill Gates and Sam Altman has broken ground, a $2.3 billion bet on...
July 2, 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.

A new Zambia copper mine backed by Bill Gates and Sam Altman has broken ground, a $2.3 billion bet on...
July 2, 2026
DR Congo economy is set to reach $123B in 2026, jumping to Africa's 8th largest—driven by cobalt, copper, and 5%+...
July 2, 2026
Congo carbon credits get a national registry and a 2026 carbon tax as the DRC moves to capture more value...
July 2, 2026
Africa Intelligence Brief for Wednesday: the continent opened a new half-year and, in East Africa, a new fiscal year, as...
July 1, 2026
Guinea shipped a record 183 million tonnes of bauxite in 2025, fueling 8.8% GDP growth—Africa's fastest. See how Guinea bauxite...
July 1, 2026
A new China minerals law gives Beijing a legal lever over strategic metals, raising the stakes in Africa, where it...
June 30, 2026
The Congo-Rwanda peace deal signed June 27, 2025 is faltering—troops unwithdrown, FDLR active, M23 excluded. Here's what's blocking the minerals-backed...
June 30, 2026
Africa Intelligence Brief for Tuesday: the continent's feared deadlines came due — South Africa's national shutdown mostly passed in quiet...
June 30, 2026
Rawbank, Congo's largest bank, earned $232M net profit in 2025—up 9%—with $6.82B in assets and a $300M copper mining bet...
June 30, 2026Brazil runoff date: Sunday, October 25, poll closing times and when results start · Brazil runoff polls: Flávio 51%, Lula 49% · Kalshi and Polymarket odds