As global markets for electric vehicles (EVs) continue to grow, demand for the resources required for their production has been rising in turn.
Countries across the African continent are already key producers of several essential raw materials. Moreover, Africa holds substantial reserves that will be critical for the rapid expansion of green technologies, including electric vehicles, which are needed on a large scale to meet global decarbonization targets while also supporting economic development and industrial growth.
Given Africa’s rapid development and projected CO₂ emission increases – not least in transport – it is especially important to consider the continent’s role in meeting global net-zero goals. Electric mobility offers the most efficient technical pathway for Africa to reduce dependence on fossil fuels in road transport and achieve a low-carbon transport sector. Home to abundant raw materials, Africa has a unique opportunity to establish integrated clusters for electric mobility that link mining, local processing, battery production, and vehicle assembly.
While there is considerable divergence between African countries, the continent as a whole has yet to fully take advantage of its natural resource wealth for the benefit of its domestic economies. Raw materials are typically exported for processing and further manufacturing elsewhere, limiting the continent’s ability to capture higher-value segments of the supply chain. By developing domestic processing and manufacturing capacities as well as fostering local demand for electric mobility, African nations could retain more value creation domestically. This would not only stimulate economic development but also accelerate broader public access to sustainable transport solutions.
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