Keypoints:
- UK boosts mining operations in Africa, targeting critical and traditional minerals
- British International Investment funding jumps 40 % to £1.09 bn
- Projects span graphite in Uganda to gemstones in southern Africa
THE United Kingdom is significantly ramping up its investments in African mining, aiming to secure access to both traditional and critical minerals vital for energy transition and industrial growth. With Africa home to about 30 percent of the world’s critical mineral reserves, UK-based financiers and mining firms are stepping up their presence across the continent.
A surge in strategic funding
British International Investment (BII) has driven a sharp 40 percent rise in mining-related funding commitments to Africa—from £725 million in 2023 to £1.09 bn in 2024. This underscores the UK’s twin goals of enhancing mineral security and spurring African economic growth.
Expanding projects across multiple countries
UK mining firms are broadening their footprint:
- Blencowe Resources is advancing the Orom-Cross Graphite Project in Uganda and has signed a five-year offtake deal with Perpetuus Advanced Materials for supply to the UK, reflecting growing domestic graphite demand.
- Gemfields is expanding its ruby and emerald operations in Zambia and Mozambique, and pursuing projects in Ethiopia and Madagascar, supported by a $30 million capital raise in June 2025.
- Kore Potash has secured a monumental $2.2bn financing package from Swiss investor OWI-RAMS GMBH to advance its Kola Potash Project in the Republic of Congo. The deal, split into $1.53bn in senior secured project finance and a $655 million royalty facility, promises to boost fertilizer supplies and support food security initiative
- Other UK firms, including Xtract Resources and Endeavour Mining, are extending projects in Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire and Zambia.
Building partnerships ahead of industry gathering
A major mining conference in Cape Town from October 1–3, 2025, is expected to spotlight and accelerate this investment wave. One of the flagship sessions, European Partnerships in African Mining: A Mutually Beneficial Future, will bring UK and European investors together with African mining stakeholders to explore collaboration, technology transfer, and local value-chain development.
