Guinea’s Ministry of Mines and Geology plans to have five alumina refineries operating by 2030, with three already underway, it announced during a ministerial panel at African Mining Week 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa.
The refineries are part of Guinea’s Simandou 2040 strategy, which is focused on transforming the country from a raw mineral exporter into a regional processing and industrial hub.
Under its Simandou 2040 plan, Guinea aims to reach 7–8 million tonnes of annual alumina production capacity by 2030, alongside investments in steel manufacturing, power generation, and downstream infrastructure.
Guinea’s Minister of Mines and Geology Senior Advisor Daouda Diakité says the plan aims to establish a strong mineral processing base to support the country’s downstream sector, leveraging its extensive bauxite and iron ore resources.
“To achieve this, we are encouraging investment in domestic aluminium and steel production, as well as power projects that can support downstream development,” Diakité says.
Guinea is advancing plans for domestic steel production as well, in connection with the Simandou Iron Ore Project.
“The steel from Simandou has to be processed in Guinea, and we are finishing the Feasibility Study for that,” Diakité says.
The country’s processing plans extend to gold as well, with work underway to bring a gold refinery into operation.
Downstream value across Africa
Guinea is not the only country in the region looking to gain downstream value from its raw materials.
Uganda is also positioning mineral processing as a driver of industrial growth and regional trade. Minister of Energy and Mineral Development Dr Monica Musenero Masanza says the country has 10 gold refineries processing gold for neighbouring markets in East Africa.
“Rather than every nation enduring the high cost of building refineries, Uganda offers a regional solution,” Masanza says.
“We allow our East African neighbours to bring gold in tax-free for toll processing, and because our operations run on excess renewable energy, the final product is truly green gold.”
Outside of gold, Uganda is growing its domestic processing capabilities for tin, targeting 99.9% purity, while also extending work to iron ore and phosphate beneficiation.
Meanwhile, Egypt is positioning itself as a key logistics and infrastructure partner for mineral-producing countries across Africa, connecting mining operations and processing facilities with international markets.
Egypt’s Deputy Minister for Strategic Industries Mohamed Zada has noted opportunities for cross-border investment in power generation, port infrastructure, and mineral transport networks to support the development of Africa’s downstream industry.
“Egypt’s strategic location makes it a natural logistics hub,” Zada says.
“By partnering across the continent to build power plants and seaport infrastructure, we can optimise supply chains and bring Africa’s finished mineral products to the global market.”
Local value addition through downstream processing is a key priority for governments across Africa.
Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) Chief of Staff Patrick Mulindwa Lubega says producers must capitalise on growing demand for critical resources to deliver socioeconomic benefits for local communities.
“The world’s appetite for African minerals is growing rapidly — copper for the power grid, lithium for batteries, and gold as a strategic reserve,” Lubega says.
“The core question must be how these mineral export initiatives leave our people with real skills and economic benefits — we cannot simply be left with holes in the ground. The true measure of our mineral wealth lies in the jobs we create and the industrialisation we foster.”
The key message from African Mining Week is clear: as global demand for critical minerals surges, African countries must capture more value from their mineral wealth while supplying the metals needed for the energy transition, advanced manufacturing, and the wider global economy.
Write to Amy Rotman at Mining.com.au
Main image: Simandou 2040
