The upcoming African Mining Week (AMW) 2025, set for 1-3 October in Cape Town, will spotlight a surge in copper-related mergers and acquisitions (M&A) on the continent as global demand for the metal intensifies under the energy transition.
A key session titled “The Copper Scramble: How Mergers are Reshaping the Global Supply Chain” will examine how recent M&A activity is transforming Africa’s copper landscape, with a focus on investment flows, production expansion and strategic partnerships across the continent.
“The session is expected to unpack the impact M&A deals have had and will continue to play on Africa’s copper industry, highlighting recent deals and investment opportunities across the market,” organisers said on Friday.
Driven by the push for electrification and clean energy technologies, copper has become a critical mineral in the global economy.
African countries – particularly southern African neighbours Zambia and Botswana – are leveraging this demand to attract capital and scale up production through high-profile acquisitions.
Zambia, aiming to triple its copper output to three million tonnes annually by 2031, has seen a flurry of deals.
UAE-based International Resource Holdings acquired Mopani Mine for $1.1 billion in 2024, targeting 300,000 tonnes of annual output within three years.
China’s JCHX Mining Management injected $300 million into Lubambe Mine, while US firm KoBold Metals committed over $2 billion to develop the Dumbwa and Konkola West projects.
Other players like Mercuria and Patriot Lithium have also entered the Zambian market.
In Botswana, BHP acquired stakes in Cobre Limited in March 2025, unlocking access to Tier 1 assets in the Kalahari Copper Belt – which stretches into Namibia. The mining giant plans to invest $25 million in exploration.
Meanwhile, China’s MMG Limited is investing $700 million to double output at Khoemacau Mine following its acquisition from Cuprous Capital.
AMW 2025 will run alongside African Energy Week and is expected to draw global investors, policymakers and mining executives.
Organisers say the event will serve as a launchpad for new deals and reinforce Africa’s role in securing the copper supply chains essential to the global energy transition.
JN/APA