Vuyelwa Diniso is the managing director of a law firm specialising in corporate law, commercial transactions and regulatory advice. She advises clients across financial services, technology, education, infrastructure, and diplomatic sectors. Vuyelwa is the co-founder of A Seat at the Table, a leadership platform expanding opportunities for youth and women in business and governance.
Diniso says: “The next decade will determine whether Africa remains a quarry for the world or becomes a strategic architect of the global critical minerals economy.
“Africa sits at the centre of the clean energy transition, holding over 30% of the world’s critical mineral reserves, including cobalt, lithium, manganese, and platinum group metals, which are indispensable to renewable energy systems, electric vehicles, and advanced manufacturing. Yet, while the continent’s geology makes it essential to the future green economy, its positioning remains largely as a supplier of raw materials rather than a full participant in the value chain.
“African voices, including governments, regional bodies, civil society, and local communities, are increasingly calling for a different paradigm – one that moves from extraction to beneficiation, from exporting ores to building refining, manufacturing, and technology industries on the continent.
“The benefits today are uneven. Shareholders of global mining houses, foreign governments securing supply, and political elites often capture the largest share. Meanwhile, host communities face environmental degradation, displacement, and limited employment. This imbalance is the product of governance choices, contract negotiations, and the absence of a united continental position.
“If Africa is to truly benefit, the story must be reshaped by an African leadership that is coordinated, legally sophisticated, and unapologetic about demanding value addition, equitable partnerships, and transparent revenue management.”
