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Insights Centre
Sectors

Mining

Where the mines and projects are, what they produce, the power and corridors they need, and the processing gap.

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Value added by mining and utilities across SADCUS$114bn14.5% of output · +3.2% a year, last five years
SADC exports of the pillar's goodsUS$145bn2024
Deals in the last 12 months39US$3.3bn where the value is confirmed · 53 tracked in all
Subsectors118 with trade data

What this page answers

  • Where are the mines and projects, and what do they produce?
  • Which corridors carry the output, and how much power do new mines need?
  • How fast are mine towns growing?
  • Where could smelting and refining add value?

South Africa has SADC's largest mining and utilities sector, at US$37.5bn

Value added by mining and utilities, US$, latest year, with its share of each economy

South AfricaUS$37.5bn10.4% of the economy
AngolaUS$26.8bn23.4% of the economy
DRCUS$19.8bn28.2% of the economy
TanzaniaUS$8.6bn11.2% of the economy
ZimbabweUS$7.8bn18.0% of the economy
ZambiaUS$4.2bn17.3% of the economy
MozambiqueUS$3.3bn16.5% of the economy
BotswanaUS$2.3bn12.6% of the economy
NamibiaUS$2.3bn18.6% of the economy
MadagascarUS$769m4.8% of the economy
MalawiUS$397m3.5% of the economy
LesothoUS$327m15.9% of the economy
MauritiusUS$258m2.0% of the economy
EswatiniUS$101m2.2% of the economy
SeychellesUS$50m2.8% of the economy
ComorosUS$20m1.3% of the economy
Source: UN Statistics Division·dotzedw Insights Centre

DRC leads SADC on mineral rents

Mineral rents, % of GDP, latest year for each country. Click a bar for that country's mining page.

0%10%20%30%DRC28.8%Zambia28.2%Zimbabwe4.2%Tanzania4.0%South Africa3.8%Namibia3.2%Botswana0.2%Mozambique0.1%Malawi0.0%Angola0.0%Comoros0.0%Eswatini0.0%Lesotho0.0%Madagascar0.0%Mauritius0.0%Seychelles0.0%median 0.1%

Source: World Bank·dotzedw Insights Centre

Subsectors

11 in this pillar

Copper and cobalt

Tracks
Mines and projects in the Congolese and Zambian copper belts, output, smelters and refineries, export routes, power demand, export rules.

Select a figure for its trend. Source: CEPII BACI, dotzedw deals tracker.

Trade in detail

SADC sold US$41.1bn of copper and cobalt abroad in 2024, up 81.9% on five years earlier

Exports and imports of the products in this subsector by the 16 SADC countries, US$ (HS 2603, 2605, 7402, 7403, 8105, 282200)

0$10bn$20bn$30bn$40bn2012201420162018202020222024ExportsUS$41.1bnImportsUS$1.2bn
Source: CEPII BACI·dotzedw Insights Centre

Largest exporters, 2024

DRCUS$27.0bn
ZambiaUS$10.2bn
South AfricaUS$1.4bn
NamibiaUS$1.0bn
BotswanaUS$820m
TanzaniaUS$457m
MadagascarUS$88m
MozambiqueUS$74m

Where the exports go

ChinaUS$25.6bn
SwitzerlandUS$4.7bn
Rest of the worldUS$3.8bn
European UnionUS$2.7bn
IndiaUS$2.1bn
SADCUS$789m
Rest of AfricaUS$744m
United StatesUS$380m

Main products, 2024

Refined copper (740311)US$22.0bn
Unrefined copper (blister and anodes) (740200)US$9.4bn
Copper ore (260300)US$4.7bn
Cobalt (intermediates and unwrought) (810520)US$3.2bn
Refined copper (740319)US$1.2bn
Cobalt oxides and hydroxides (282200)US$425m

Each country's trade in copper and cobalt every year since 2012, by partner is part of the Individual plan

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Open these deals in the deals tracker

What SADC sells abroad across mining

SADC exports by subsector, 2024, US$. A product can count in two subsectors.

Copper and cobaltUS$41.1bn+82% on five years earlier
GoldUS$37.3bn+63% on five years earlier
Platinum group metals and chromeUS$27.9bn+66% on five years earlier
DiamondsUS$13.0bn-9% on five years earlier
CoalUS$10.9bn+8% on five years earlier
Iron ore and manganeseUS$10.2bn-28% on five years earlier
Battery and critical mineralsUS$2.7bn+85% on five years earlier
UraniumUS$1.9bn+60% on five years earlier
Source: CEPII BACI·dotzedw Insights Centre

Who is moving

Open in the deals tracker

39 deals in the last 12 months across SADC, placed in subsectors by what they say.

Sources and method