Follow CGSP on Social Media

Listen to the CGSP Podcast

Booming Chinese Demand for African Metals and Minerals Pushes Prices to Record Highs

by Eric Olander

These are good days for Africa’s metals and mineral exporters, who are seeing record prices thanks to strong demand, in part, from China and international automakers that produce new energy vehicles.

The timing for this latest “commodity supercycle,” as it’s commonly referred to, couldn’t be better for the likes of Zambia (copper), the DRC (cobalt), and South Africa (iron ore.) These countries have all been struggled to pull their economies out of the COVID-19 induced downturn.

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest China-Africa news and analysis.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China-Africa relations.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in Africa and throughout the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

OR

Already a subscriber? Log in Click Here to Learn More

You Might Like

When It Comes To Mining, Africa and Australia Are the Primary Sources of Key Minerals and Metals for China

China may be trying to transition to a services-led high technology economy that doesn’t rely as much on manufacturing but that shift will take years. In the meantime, Chinese factories still need to ...

Forget About Oil, Cobalt is the Resource of the Future

Strong demand for electric vehicles in China and Europe is expected to bolster the output of cobalt and copper in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s mining sector. Today, the DRC is the ...

Almost 2/3 of Africa’s Exports to China Last Year Came From Just Three Countries

The highly distorted nature of China-Africa trade in 2021 was the subject of a series of compelling charts and infographics published on Tuesday by the online financial news site Quartz. ...

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.