African Mining Week (AMW) is returning to the Cape Town International Convention Centre, from 14-16 October 2026, under the theme ‘Mining the Future: Critical Resources, Sustainability, and Community Development’.
This year’s event will connect international investors with Africa’s mining opportunities as the continent positions itself at the forefront of the global energy transition and critical minerals supply.
AMW 2026 will feature high-level panel discussions, technical workshops, and networking sessions. The 2025 event attracted around 1,500 delegates, more than 85 speakers, and 315 companies and representatives from 22 countries.
The summit will also tackle crucial topics shaping Africa’s mining sector, including the formalisation of artisanal and small-scale mining, energy security, environmental sustainability, infrastructure development, women and youth empowerment, human capital development and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Africa currently holds around 30% of the world’s critical minerals, including copper, cobalt, manganese, and platinum.
According to Zero Carbon Analytics, minerals are largely exported from Africa in their raw states to be refined abroad. China dominates the market, accounting for 85% of the global processing capacity and 60% of worldwide production for critical minerals.
In 2019, minerals and fossil fuels accounted for more than a third of exports from at least 60% of African countries.
Additionally, 42 out of 54 African countries are classed as resource dependent, with 18 countries classified dependent on non-fuel minerals, 10 dependent on energy or fuel export dependent, and the remaining as dependent on agricultural exports, as reported by the Policy Center for the New South.
African Mining Week serves as a premier platform for exploring the full spectrum of mining opportunities across the continent. The event is held alongside the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies 2026 conference from October 12-16 in Cape Town.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: African Mining Week
