Looking back on Mining Indaba 2026 – Highlights of Chinese investments in the African Mining Sector

From 8 to 11 February 2026, Victor Grandguillaume and Chen Xi, members of Gide Africa Group attended the Mining Indaba Conference in Cape Town and reconnected with key players in the African mining sector, including mining companies, financial institutions and governments.

This year’s conference was marked by a particularly strong presence of leading Chinese companies developing some of the most significant natural resources projects on the continent (e.g. Simandou iron ore project, Manono lithium project). We set out below some key highlights and trends on the Chinese investments in the African mining sector.

Continued growth of Chinese investments in Africa in the context of an increase in global competition for access to natural resources

In 2025, China’s outbound non-financial direct investments reached 145.66 billion USD, Chinese overseas construction projects amounted to 289.22 billion USD, up 8.2%, while Chinese investments in Africa surged by 41%.

Today, China’s outbound investments exceed inbound investments into China, making China a major exporter of capital. This trend is likely to continue as Chinese companies seek to secure strategic resources overseas, develop new markets and diversify income sources globally, with a special focus on emerging countries, amid weak domestic demand, intense competition at home and a complex international trade environment.

This is particularly true for Chinese investments in Africa thanks to the strong mutual complementarity: China needs mineral resources and new markets for building railways, ports, roads, power plants, refineries, plants, and Africa needs capital and infrastructure to develop the continent.

Footprints of Chinese players in the African mining sector

In addition tocontinued growth in value, we see an evolution in the nature of Chinese investments in the mining sector, moving away from pure resource extraction to investments in mining-related industrial facilities and energy generation, to accommodate host governments’ willingness to leverage investment in the mining sector to develop a local industry:

• The Republic of Guinea is now the first supplier of bauxite to China, and Chinese companies are developing highly strategic projects in the country, including the Simandou project, alumina refineries, energy projects and key infrastructure projects.
• In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chinese investments in the mining sector reached 250 billion USD, representing 3/4 of the country’s output in copper and cobalt. Zijin Mining is also developing a major lithium project, while Chinese investors are also active in very large energy generation and transmission projects.
• Chinese investors are also present in Ghana (gold, bauxite), Ivory Coast (gold, bauxite), Mali (gold and lithium), Burkina Faso (gold), Mauritania (gold), Congo Brazzaville (potassium), Gabon (manganese), South Africa (gold, chromium, manganese), Zimbabwe (lithium, platinum-group metals), Zambia (copper), Tanzania (gold, graphite), Botswana (copper), Ethiopia (gold), Mozambique (zirconium, titanate), Namibia (uranium), Sierra Leone (iron ore), Liberia (iron ore, manganese), Kenya (copper), Nigeria (columbite-tantalite), Djibouti (industrial salt).
• North Africa (especially Algeria) represents great opportunities for potential Chinese investments in the mining sector (phosphate, copper, gold, zinc).

Challenges and opportunities

Chinese investors are also facing challenges and an increasingly complex environment in many African jurisdictions, with increasing requirements on local content and development of local community, infrastructure and downstream industries. In recent years, China’s investment in Africa’s mining sector is evolving from mere resource acquisition into downstream industrialization and development of strategic energy and transport infrastructure. This approach helps host countries build industrial capacity while allowing Chinese companies to better embed themselves in the global markets.