North Africa is quietly undergoing one of the most consequential economic transformations of the 21st century. Once viewed primarily as a geopolitical crossroads between Europe, the Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa, the region is now repositioning itself as a critical hub for global industry – particularly in the rapidly evolving supply chains surrounding critical minerals. While sub-Saharan Africa remains the heart of mineral extraction, North Africa’s growing strategic importance lies in its ability to link the mineral-rich south with the manufacturing and consumption powerhouses of Asia and Europe.

This shift is no coincidence. It is a calculated realignment of trade, infrastructure, and industrial strategy, born of both necessity and opportunity. As global demand for critical minerals – including cobalt, lithium, rare earths, and manganese – accelerates, nations are racing to secure reliable access to these resources. The future of renewable energy, electric vehicles, and advanced manufacturing depends on them. In this new global contest, North Africa’s location, infrastructure, and political leverage are transforming it into the indispensable bridge between resource extraction and industrial production.

Africa is no longer content to serve merely as the world’s mine. In recent years, several African nations have begun asserting sovereignty over their resources, seeking to capture greater value from their mineral wealth. The Democratic Republic of Congo’s export bans on unprocessed cobalt and Zimbabwe’s new levies on raw lithium exports exemplify this strategic shift from extraction to beneficiation – the process of locally refining and adding value before export.

This evolution is a game changer for North Africa. With sub-Saharan producers tightening control over mineral flows, North Africa’s ports, logistics networks, and industrial corridors become crucial channels for export, processing, and trade. Africa’s critical mineral exports were estimated to reach $266 billion in 2024 – a figure that will only grow as global demand continues to soar. The race to transport, refine, and distribute these resources has intensified, and North Africa is positioning itself at the center of this race.

The region’s three largest economies – Morocco, Egypt, and Algeria – are leading the way in infrastructure investment and industrial........

© Blitz