1) Cobalt
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Why important: battery metal for EVs and electronics.
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Key stat: The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is by far the dominant supplier — ~70–75%+ of world mined cobalt (recent USGS and industry reports note ~74% of mined cobalt production coming from the DRC in 2023). U.S. Geological Survey PublicationsCobalt Institute
2) Copper
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Why important: electrification, power grids, EVs.
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Key stat: The DRC has grown into one of the top global copper producers (reports around 2024–2025 show DRC production in the millions of tonnes; sources report ~3.3 million t copper output for the DRC in 2024 and Zambia ~0.7–0.82 million t in 2023–2024). Major projects (Kamoa-Kakula, etc.) have driven the jump. Investing News Network (INN)mmmd.gov.zm
3) Gold
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Why important: stores of value, exports.
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Key stat: Many African producers rank in the world top producers. Recent data (World Gold Council / market summaries) lists Ghana, Mali, South Africa, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Guinea, Tanzania and Cote d’Ivoire as major African gold producers (annual production measured in tens to low hundreds of tonnes per country). World Gold CouncilBusiness Insider Africa
4) Diamonds (gem & industrial)
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Why important: high export value for some states, also local artisanal mining.
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Key stat: Kimberley Process public statistics report large volumes and values from Botswana, Angola, South Africa, DRC, Namibia and others (country-level volume & value tables are published annually). kimberleyprocessstatistics.org
5) Phosphate (fertiliser feedstock)
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Why important: critical for agriculture & fertiliser supply.
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Key stat: Morocco (including Western Sahara deposits under Moroccan control) holds by far the largest phosphate reserves — commonly cited ~50 billion tonnes of phosphate rock (often reported as ~60–70%+ of global reserves depending on source). Morocco’s state firm OCP is the dominant operator. World Population ReviewInvesting News Network (INN)OCP Group
6) Bauxite (aluminium ore)
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Why important: feedstock for aluminium.
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Key stat: Guinea has enormous bauxite reserves and is among the world’s largest producers/exporters; USGS/industry reporting estimates Guinea’s reserves at several billion tonnes and recent export volumes surged (Q1 2025 exports ~48.6 Mt). MetalReuters
7) Platinum-group metals (PGMs: platinum, palladium, rhodium...)
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Why important: autocatalysts, industrial uses, investment.
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Key stat: South Africa holds the largest known PGM reserves and supplies the lion’s share of global platinum/palladium production (South Africa accounts for a large majority — often quoted ~60–70% of global PGM output). U.S. Geological Survey PublicationsInvesting News Network (INN)
8) Uranium
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Why important: nuclear fuel.
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Key stat: Significant African uranium producers include Namibia, Niger, and South Africa; Namibia (and Niger) have been among the larger producers globally (Namibia accounted for a notable share of world mine output in recent years). Global nuclear/uranium reports list African producers among the top 20 producers. world-nuclear.orgInvesting News Network (INN)
9) Iron ore
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Why important: steelmaking.
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Key stat: South Africa, Mauritania and others produce iron ore for regional and export markets. (See USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries and country production reports for country-by-country tonnages.) U.S. Geological Survey Publications
10) Oil & Natural Gas (hydrocarbons)
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Why important: huge economic value, state revenues, exports.
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Key stat (reserves & production snapshots): Libya, Nigeria, Angola, Algeria and Sudan (and others like Egypt) are the largest holders/producers. For example, published country lists show Libya with ~48–50 billion barrels proven crude reserves and Nigeria ~35–37 billion barrels (figures vary by source and year). Africa overall accounts for a meaningful share of global oil reserves and produces well under 10% of global crude output (but is regionally important). Business Insider AfricaInvestopedia
11) Lithium & Rare Earths (and other “battery/EV” metals)
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Why important: EV batteries, magnets, green transition tech.
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Key stat: Africa has growing lithium projects (Zimbabwe, Namibia, DRC, Mali and others) and rare-earth occurrences under exploration; continental lithium reserves are smaller than Australia/Chile but several African jurisdictions are emerging suppliers. Reports and NGOs flag a lithium “rush” across several African countries. africangreenminerals.comGlobal Witness
12) Nickel, Zinc, Manganese, Lead, Tin, Tantalum (coltan) etc.
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Why important: industrial metals and electronics.
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Key stat: These are produced across Africa — notable examples: manganese and chrome in South Africa, nickel in Madagascar/Zimbabwe, tantalum/coltan in DRC/Rwanda, tin in Central/African producers. USGS commodity summaries give country-by-country production/reserve data for each metal. U.S. Geological Survey Publications
13) Agricultural & biological resources (timber, fish, arable land)
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Why important: food security, exports, livelihoods.
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Key stat: Africa has large tracts of arable land, significant fisheries (West African and eastern/southern fisheries), and substantial forestry resources — values and sustainable yields vary widely by region (FAO/World Bank country datasets give the detailed figures). (I can fetch country breakdowns if you want.)
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