Rising demand for lithium is positioning Africa to attract foreign investment, accelerate local beneficiation and strengthen its role in securing the global battery supply chain.
A recent forecast by Wood Mackenzie projects that global lithium demand could exceed 13-million tons by 2050 under an accelerated energy transition scenario.
This surge is expected to place significant pressure on supply, with deficits emerging as early as 2028. Without substantial new investments, existing lithium projects will struggle to meet demand beyond the mid-2030s.
Against this backdrop, Africa’s growing pipeline of greenfield and development-stage lithium projects positions the continent as an increasingly important contributor to global supply security.
In 2025, Africa ranked as the largest source of new lithium supply globally, with new output from the region exceeding that of the rest of the world combined.
Even under a slower energy transition scenario, Wood Mackenzie projects that lithium markets will remain adequately supplied until 2037, before entering deficit.
This outlook reinforces Africa’s strategic role as new projects across Mali, Zimbabwe, Ghana and Namibia advance toward production.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Zijin Mining, AVZ Minerals and KoBold Metals are expected to begin operations at the Manono lithium project in mid-to-late 2026, marking the country’s first lithium output.
Ranked among the world’s largest hard-rock lithium deposits, Manono is expected to begin exports shortly after commissioning, diversifying DRC’s mineral output while strengthening the continent`s contribution to the global electric vehicles and battery supply chain.
Mali is also rapidly positioning itself as a key lithium producer. The Bougouni Lithium Project, commissioned in 2025, currently produces approximately 125 000 tons per annum of concentrate, with Phase Two expansion plans underway that could nearly double production capacity.
Meanwhile, the Goulamina Lithium Project, one of the largest spodumene deposits globally, is producing around 506,000 tons of spodumene concentrate annually, with expansion plans targeting one million tons per year.
Together, these projects are expected to significantly strengthen Mali and Africa’s position within the global lithium market.
In Ghana, the Ewoyaa Lithium Project, developed by Atlantic Lithium, is set to become the country’s first lithium-producing mine, with production targeted for late 2027. The project is expected to produce 3.58 million tons of spodumene concentrate grading 6% and 5,5%, alongside approximately 4,7-million tons of secondary product, further strengthening Africa’s contribution to global lithium supply.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe – currently Africa’s largest lithium producer – is accelerating efforts to move up the value chain. Government policies restricting the export of raw lithium are encouraging investment in local processing and beneficiation facilities, supporting the production of higher-value lithium products and positioning the country as a key supplier to the global battery materials market.