The UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has launched a €15-million regional project to strengthen environmentally and socially responsible critical minerals value chains across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.

This project, titled ‘Fostering Environmentally and Socially Responsible, Decarbonised, Inclusive and Transformative Value Chains for Critical Energy Transition Minerals in the SADC Region’, was officially launched in Lusaka, Zambia, on June 2.

The five-year project, running from 2026 to 2031, will be implemented in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and it seeks to support sustainable industrialisation, value addition, job creation and environmental protection in the region’s growing critical minerals sector.

Speaking at the launch, ECA Southern Africa regional director Eunice Kamwendo said the project built on ongoing regional efforts to promote value addition, responsible mining practices and inclusive participation in energy transition mineral value chains.

"First of all, it certainly does provide a pathway for our member States to leverage their comparative advantages by moving up the value chain [and] really moving from just extraction to adding value and for industrial production," she said.

She also highlighted that the mining industry already currently contributes between 7% and 25% of GDP in several Southern African countries, while mineral exports account for a significant share of foreign exchange earnings across the region.

Kamwendo highlighted the region’s importance in the global energy transition, citing Zimbabwe’s lithium resources, Mozambique and Namibia’s graphite and uranium production, and South Africa’s position as a major producer of manganese and platinum group metals (PGMs).

She said the project would help countries move beyond the export of raw minerals by promoting beneficiation, industrial production and stronger linkages between the extractive sector and the wider economy.

“As Africa, we export most of our minerals in raw form, or maybe at best semi-processed, capturing only a small share of the value, despite hosting a significant proportion of the world's reserves in key minerals such as cobalt, copper, lithium, manganese, nickel and PGMs," Kamwendo noted.

The project is aligned with several continental and international frameworks, including the African Mining Vision, the Africa Green Minerals Strategy, the SADC Regional Mining Vision and recommendations of the UN Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals.

Kamwendo identified four strategic priorities underpinning the project, namely advancing value addition and industrialisation, ensuring broader socioeconomic benefits from mining activities, strengthening regional cooperation and positioning Southern Africa to respond strategically to the growing global demand for critical minerals.

Representing Zambia’s Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, Permanent Secretary Dr Douty Chibamba said the project came at a critical time as demand for copper, cobalt, lithium, manganese and nickel continued to rise owing to expanding renewable-energy technologies, electric mobility, battery storage and low-carbon industrial systems.

“For the SADC region, this presents an important opportunity to move beyond raw material exports and position the region as the centre for value addition, green industrialisation, innovation and decent job creation,” he said.

Chibamba emphasised that the opportunity must be pursued responsibly through stronger environmental governance, social safeguards, community participation, local content development, transparency and regional cooperation.

He added that the project aligned closely with Zambia’s national development priorities and climate objectives, including implementation of the country’s Green Growth and Climate Change Act and broader efforts to promote sustainable economic transformation.

Meanwhile, Zambia Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development Permanent Secretary Dr Hapenga Kabeta said Southern Africa was uniquely positioned to contribute to the global energy transition owing to its significant endowment of critical minerals.

“As such, the region has an opportunity not only to supply raw materials to the world, but also to leverage these resources to accelerate industrialisation, create jobs, foster innovation, and improve the livelihoods of our people," he added.

He acknowledged that challenges remain, including limited beneficiation capacity, environmental, social and governance (ESG) compliance gaps, inadequate participation by women and youth and the need for stronger regional coordination and policy harmonisation.

This project is being implemented by a consortium led by ECA and comprising government agency the African Minerals Development Centre, Germany’s Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, strategy advisory company Project Consult, university-affiliated research consultancy Wits Enterprise and nongovernmental organisation World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Germany, together with regional partners.

The consortium aims to strengthen ESG, improve environmental oversight, support community participation and enhance regional cooperation to ensure critical minerals contribute to sustainable development, economic transformation and a just energy transition across Southern Africa.