The project, located in the mineral-rich Simandou mountains in southeastern Guinea, is a joint venture involving mining giants Rio Tinto, Winning Consortium Simandou (WCS), China Baowu, Chinalco, and the Guinean government. Once fully operational, Simandou is expected to produce up to 120 million tonnes of iron ore annually, nearly 7% of the world ’s seaborne iron trade, with an average iron content of 65%, making it one of the highest-grade outputs globally.

“We are unlocking an exceptional new source of high-grade iron ore that is in demand from customers for low-carbon steelmaking. This enhances our world-class portfolio of iron ore mines,” said Simon Trott, CEO of Rio Tinto.

Government officials expect the mine and its supporting infrastructure to trigger over $200 billion in investment across transport, education, energy, and housing sectors.

“Simandou is more than a mining project: it is the driving force behind a national transformation,” said Djiba Diakité, Chair of the Simandou 2040 Strategic Committee, adding, “This reflects the vision of the Head of State and the determination of an entire nation to build a future of shared prosperity.”

President Mamadi Doumbouya, who came to power in a 2021 coup, has made Simandou the centrepiece of his administration’s economic legacy.

Beyond steel , manganese is vital in nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) and lithium-manganese oxide (LMO) batteries, technologies central to China’s EV sector. Ensuring steady, high-grade supplies has therefore become essential to Beijing’s industrial strategy.

Gabon is the world’s second-largest producer of manganese, with reserves estimated at 250 million tonnes, concentrated in the Moanda region. Its ore, often exceeding 46% manganese content, is among the highest quality globally.

Until now, Gabon largely exported raw ore, with limited local processing. But that model is changing as Libreville has announced a ban on raw manganese exports from 2029, requiring foreign companies to invest in domestic processing. Mines Minister Gilles Nembé has described the policy as a step to make Gabon “a competitive industrial hub in the mining sector.”

In September, a delegation of seven Chinese firms met Gabonese authorities to propose building an integrated industrial zone for manganese processing. Companies such as Inner Mongolia Xinchuan Metallurgy pledged to transfer smelting technology and establish facilities for alloys and battery-grade products. This approach goes beyond mining, embedding China deeper into Gabon’s value chain.

China’s push comes amid rising competition from Japanese investors, who also signalled plans in July 2025 to invest in Gabon’s processing industry, seeking to secure supplies for steelmaking and EV technologies while diversifying away from Chinese dominance.

For Gabon, these rival bids offer leverage with foreign competition accelerating investment, expanding job creation, and boosting value-added industries. For China, securing processed manganese in Gabon reduces reliance on volatile global markets while tightening control over critical mineral supply chains.

As the 2029 export ban nears, Gabon’s manganese could become a flashpoint in the global race for battery metals, shaping Africa ’s role in the green energy transition and testing how far China’s industrial strategy can reach.

In an interview with local news channel Joy News , the Chamber President, Michael Edem Akafia, said Ghana’s continued leadership in gold output underscores its maturity as a mining hub.

“In terms of performance, if you look at it on the global level, Ghana is still maintaining its place as the biggest gold producer in Africa and sits globally as well. So those are the positives you have going for it,” Akafia said.

Small-scale mining has driven much of the growth, with production soaring from 1.1 million ounces in 2023 to 1.9 million ounces in 2024. In contrast, large-scale production has stagnated at around 2.9 million ounces.

“If you unpack it and look behind those headlines, you find that there may be challenges and issues of concern for the industry,” Akafia noted, adding that Ghana must continue positioning itself as a “beacon for the mining industry” across Africa.

Akafia also pointed to uncertainty over the government’s planned overhaul of mining laws. While reforms are aimed at improving transparency and governance , industry stakeholders remain cautious about how the changes could affect investment and operations.

According to data from the World Gold Council , Ghana has been Africa’s leading gold producer from 2010 to date, with 135.1 tonnes, followed by Mali with 105 tonnes and South Africa with 104.3 tonnes. Burkina Faso ranks fourth with 98.6 tonnes, while Sudan rounds out the top five at 72.5 tonnes.

Local media Desk Eco reports that the bulk of the DRC’s tin exports came from industrial operations, which accounted for 63% of the total export volume. Industrial producers shipped 27,100 tons of cassiterite (tin ore), valued at approximately $350 million.

The artisanal or small-scale mining sector contributed 15,852 tons worth $162.8 million.

Market dominance remains firmly with Alphamin Bisie, a major mining firm responsible for 99% of all industrial tin exports from the DRC in 2024. The company alone exported 26,932 tons, generating $348.6 million.

Tin, which is primarily used for soldering in electronics and as a corrosion-resistant coating in food packaging (tinplate), has seen a sharp increase in global market prices. Disruptions in supply, including temporary export halts, helped drive the metal’s price from $25,175 per ton at the end of 2023 to $32,640 per ton by December 2024. As of now, tin is trading at approximately $35,000 per ton.

In 2023, DRC was rated as one of the top five biggest suppliers of tin on international markets, along with Australia, Nigeria, and Rwanda. 

For developing nations most dependent on revenue from these raw materials, the report shows more complex economic issues.

According to UNCTAD, this reliance on commodities inhibits economic growth and perpetuates inequalities across regions like sub-Saharan Africa, South America, the Pacific, and the Middle East.

Currently, 95 developing countries, nearly half of the UN's membership, are affected by commodity dependence. Notably, 29 out of 32 nations classified as having low human development in 2021 were commodity-dependent.

“Commodities and commodity dependence are issues at the heart of the past and especially the future of trade and development,” said UN Trade and Development Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan.

Africa, in particular, holds a significant stake in the mining of metals essential for renewable energy transition. UNCTAD highlights that over a fifth of such metals crucial for renewable energy are mined in Africa. For instance, the demand for cobalt, a vital mineral for EVs predominantly found in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), could skyrocket by nearly 1,500% by 2050.

However, despite being primary producers and exporters of these minerals, many African countries have yet to capitalize fully on their resources . UNCTAD notes a shift in some nations towards value addition through local processing. In the DRC, for instance, significant progress has been made in cobalt refining and processing, resulting in a substantial increase in processed cobalt exports compared to raw cobalt.

The UN Trade and Development has identified 110 new mining projects worldwide, valued at $39 billion, with a substantial portion invested in developing countries. However, to achieve the ambitious 2030 net-zero emission targets, the industry may require substantial investment in new mining projects, according to the report. Estimates suggest a need for around 80 new copper mines, 70 new lithium and nickel mines each, and 30 new cobalt mines.

What they said

Strategist at broker Marex said “Aluminum is still seeing this CTA sell program where the short is building to considerable levels,” said Alastair Munro. He added that “There has been much chatter about the possibility of stock inflows around the Third Wednesday prompt. It’s all rumour, but with premiums dropping it would make sense for there to be stock delivered. A metals trader added further, “With so many key data release points this week, metals should continue to see sell-offs ahead of weak data prints,” one metals trader said.