The upcoming African Mining Week (AMW), set to take place from October 1-3, 2025 in Cape Town, will shine a spotlight on mineral traceability and its role in reshaping investment flows and improving supply chain transparency across Africa’s mining sector.
One of the event’s key discussions, titled Mineral Traceability: Reshaping Global Supply Chains and Geopolitical Influence, will convene high-level stakeholders from both the public and private sectors, including mineral traders and certification experts. The panel will explore how traceability frameworks are enhancing governance, attracting investment and enabling local beneficiation in mineral-rich African economies.
Several African countries have already taken bold steps towards traceability-driven reforms. In Ghana, the government launched the Ghana Gold Board earlier this year, becoming the sole authority for purchasing, trading and exporting gold. The board’s mandate is to curb illicit trade, increase transparency, and ensure that gold revenue contributes directly to national economic growth.
Botswana has also joined global traceability efforts through a 2024 partnership with the G7 Diamond Technical Team to develop an export certification system for rough diamonds. The system, expected to be in place by 2025, will ensure full visibility across the diamond supply chain. Similarly, Namibia and Angola have announced their intentions to roll out equivalent systems within the year.
Rwanda has emerged as a regional leader in mining digitalisation. Its Inkomane Trading System, launched in October 2024, provides end-to-end transparency for mining operations. It facilitates oversight of activities ranging from payroll to mineral trading, aligning with recent legislative reforms. UK-based mining firm Aterian resumed its operations in the country in February 2025 after successfully integrating with the platform.
On the global stage, a major initiative to unify mining standards has gained traction. In October 2024, four leading mining organisations — the Copper Mark, the International Council on Mining and Metals, the Mining Association of Canada, and the World Gold Council — launched the Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative. The unified standard will serve as a benchmark for responsible sourcing and traceability and is set to be adopted by nearly 100 companies operating at over 600 sites in around 60 countries, many of them in Africa.
Further reinforcing the continent’s traceability push, the African Union’s African Minerals Development Centre unveiled the Pan-African Resource Reporting Code in April 2024. This new framework seeks to align mineral reporting with Africa’s long-term development goals, including the Africa Mining Vision and Agenda 2063, focusing on sustainability, equity and economic transformation.
Private sector players are also leveraging advanced technologies to bolster traceability efforts. In Botswana, De Beers continues to record diamond production via its blockchain-based Tracr platform. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, firms such as Glencore, Eurasian Resources Group and Cobalt Blockchain are piloting blockchain tools to trace cobalt from extraction to final market delivery.
As the global demand for ethical and transparent mineral sourcing rises, AMW 2025 will showcase Africa’s leadership in building accountable, investor-friendly mining value chains — highlighting traceability as a catalyst for growth and reform across the sector.
