Africa, China and the Battle for Green Energy Supply Chains: Inside the Strategic Minerals Race

As the world accelerates toward a low-carbon future powered by electric vehicles (EVs), renewable power systems, and energy storage, Africa’s vast deposits of strategic minerals – including copper, cobalt, and lithium, have emerged as critical linchpins in the global green energy supply chain. For China, this mineral wealth is not a peripheral interest but a central element of industrial strategy, shaping investment flows, resource partnerships, and long-term geopolitical alignment with African partners.

China’s deepening engagement across sub-Saharan Africa’s mining sector reflects both its ambition to secure feedstocks for EV batteries and renewable technologies and Africa’s growing role as a cornerstone of future industries.