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Africa's Minerals: West Can Match China's Pace
25 Sep
Summary
- Western miners can match China's pace in Africa.
- Streamlined government approvals are key for faster development.
- KoBold is accelerating exploration in Namibia and Congo.
Western mining firms can effectively rival China's development speed for critical minerals in Africa, provided governments streamline approvals and enhance regulatory cooperation. KoBold Metals, a California-based exploration company, believes this approach allows Western investors to deploy capital more rapidly.
KoBold President Josh Goldman asserts that achieving speed and maintaining high standards are both possible. The competition for Africa's vital metals, essential for electric vehicles and technology, is intensifying as the US, Europe, and China race to secure supplies.
Chinese firms have often demonstrated faster execution in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Guinea. They achieve this by navigating bureaucracy and supporting mines with extensive infrastructure. KoBold is currently seeking accelerated exploration approvals in Namibia, where it holds over 7,000 square kilometers of exploration licenses, representing its largest landholding globally.
In Congo, KoBold is undertaking its largest lithium exploration program and a significant copper exploration campaign near the Zambian border. This ambitious effort aims to discover world-class mineral deposits, independent of ongoing disputes surrounding other mining sites like Manono, where competing claims exist.
