Whether gold, cobalt, diamonds or copper, Africa is traversed by rich rock structures that, for millennia, carved their ways through the topography of the continent. In this special report for the Engineering & Mining Journal, our journalists look at the challenges and opportunities in three prolific regions: the Birimian gold belt, stretching through West Africa; the Copperbelt, crossing the DRC and Zambia, and lastly, we look south, to Angola, the world’s fifth largest diamond producer.

The countries featured in this report – Ghana, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mali, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Zambia and Angola - have all shown a stronger focus on mining in recent years. Mali and Ghana have increased their gold production and Ivory Coast seeks to double its gold output by 2025. Meanwhile, Nigeria and Angola race to join the mining club after decades of oil-centrism. 

With the higher commodity prices, governments have big incentives to develop their mining sectors and must convince investors that the resource potential is matched with an attractive and stable investment climate. Producers  are benefiting from higher cash flows and juniors have finally been given both better ratings and access to cash - All of which offers a chance to develop the Africa’s famed endowment.