Due to oversupply, cobalt prices fell by 50% in the past two years. CMOC has significantly contributed to the excessive supply. The Chinese firm runs two major copper-cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Central Africa. CMOC produced 114,165 tonnes of cobalt in 2024, against 55,526 tonnes in 2023 (more than double). The Chinese company disclosed the figure on January 6, 2025....

The U.S. Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has approved a $150 million loan for Australian graphite mine owner Syrah Resources. However, the ongoing political crisis in Mozambique has halted the mine's operations, blocking part of this funding. On January 7, 2025, Syrah Resources announced that it cannot access future disbursements of the $150 million DFC loan while its operations...

With these first issuances, Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire are pioneering the introduction of this innovative financial mechanism. According to FinAfrique Partners, this model could be replicated in other African countries to support the informal sector and promote sustainable economic growth. Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire are preparing to roll out a groundbreaking financing tool called inclusive...

The report recommends that African countries unite their voices to negotiate from a position of strength and hold preparatory meetings with their partners to identify projects of mutual interest in advance. A recent Ecofin Pro report found that regular summits between African countries and global powers, such as China (FOCAC), Russia, and the U.S., perpetuate imbalanced partnerships that keep...

In 2023, the 2G and 3G telecom networks covered almost the entire Ethiopian population, according to the GSMA. In contrast, the 4G and 5G networks covered 33% and 1% of Ethiopians, respectively. Ethio Telecom, the state-owned telecommunications company, is asking the Ethiopian Parliament to implement policies that would make land acquisition easier to help expand its network across the country....

Inflation decreased in Burkina Faso, Benin, Niger, Côte d'Ivoire, Togo, and Mali. However, it accelerated in Guinea-Bissau and remained stable in Senegal. Inflation in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) dropped by 0.9 percentage points, from 3.4% in October to 2.5% in November 2024. This marks the second consecutive decrease since the rate was 3.6% in September. The Central...

Adopted at the end of 2024, the new WAEMU regulation strengthens currency controls and places the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism at the heart of the region's economic and security priorities. On December 20, 2024, WAEMU’s Council of Ministers passed a new rule to control the Union's foreign financial relations. This new rule replaces the one from 2010 and...

Digital technology is now at the heart of many development challenges across Africa. Several ambitious projects aim to boost millions of people's economic and social growth. However, challenges remain depending on the country. Between 2013 and 2023, Rwanda attracted $819 million in foreign direct investments (FDI) in the digital sector, distributed across four key sub-sectors. Software and...

Billionaires like Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, along with fund managers Cinctive and BlackRock, are increasing their investments in Africa's mining sector. They are backing Washington's push for critical minerals. KoBold Metals recently raised $537 million to explore copper in Zambia. This funding, supported by tech moguls and billionaires Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, highlights the...

Indonesia tripled its investment in local mineral processing between 2019 and 2022. In contrast, Africa attracted only 2.8% of the global foreign direct investment (FDI) for critical minerals processing from 2019 to 2023, despite holding 30% of the world's reserves. Indonesia's development of a local minerals processing industry provides valuable insights for African mining nations. A December...