Africa’s second-largest manganese producer pushes French mining giant deeper into EV battery supply chain

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY –

Namibia is advancing Africa’s role in the critical minerals value chain by supporting domestic rare earth processing rather than exporting raw ores, aiming to capture greater economic value, create skilled jobs, and strengthen industrial development. The initiative reflects a broader continental shift toward mineral beneficiation and value addition as African countries seek to reduce dependence on raw commodity exports while positioning themselves as strategic suppliers for the global clean energy transition.

Keywords: Namibia, rare earths, critical minerals, value addition, mineral beneficiation, downstream processing, industrialization, clean energy, energy transition, local manufacturing, supply chains, Africa, economic development, strategic minerals.

Ayodeji Adegboyega

21 July 2026 09:46 AM

Africa’s second-largest manganese producer is accelerating its push to move beyond raw mineral exports, compelling French mining giant Eramet to deepen its investment in local processing as the global race for critical minerals intensifies.

Africa’s second-largest manganese producer expands processing with Eramet ahead of export ban

• Gabon and Eramet will study projects to process up to 700,000 tonnes of manganese annually.
• The move comes before Gabon’s ban on raw manganese exports in 2029.
• One project targets battery-grade manganese for electric vehicles.
• The agreement reflects Africa’s wider push to capture more value from critical minerals.

The funding, approved by the project’s Joint Management Committee, will support the next phase of the Definitive Feasibility Study and assess whether Lofdal can produce separate light and heavy rare earth carbonate products through an integrated hydrometallurgical process.

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The programme is being carried out with the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC), which has become a strategic partner in the project.

While the announcement centres on a single mine in north-western Namibia, it reflects a broader trend emerging across Africa’s critical minerals industry.

For decades, most rare earth projects on the continent have focused on producing mineral concentrates that are shipped overseas for further processing.

Lofdal’s latest plan would move one step further by producing rare earth carbonates,intermediate products that command greater value before they are refined into individual rare earth oxides.

Light rare earth carbonates contain elements such as neodymium and praseodymium, while heavy rare earth carbonates include dysprosium and terbium, critical materials used in permanent magnets that power electric vehicles, wind turbines, advanced electronics and defence technologies.

The move also aligns with Namibia’s strategy of increasing domestic beneficiation of critical minerals instead of relying solely on exports of raw materials.

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