New announcement comes as Africa’s mineral-rich countries seek capital to unlock their mining potential national strategy This statement by French President Emmanuel Macron signals France’s proactive efforts to reaffirm its economic and strategic footprint across Africa. The strategy positions Africa as a key pillar in France’s efforts to regain market share, secure supply chains and strengthen long-term energy security against the backdrop of a global mining and energy landscape increasingly dominated by China, Russia and the United States.
Prospects for the French-African partnership
The strategy calls for French companies and financial institutions to increase their involvement across Africa’s priority sectors, particularly the mining and energy industries, where competition for assets, offtake agreements and geopolitical influence is intensifying.
From a strategic perspective, this strategy is closely linked to France’s domestic energy priorities. France, Europe’s leading nuclear producer, relies heavily on a secure and diversified uranium supply chain to protect its power system. Expanding its footprint across Africa’s mining sector will allow France to strengthen its access to uranium resources, reduce its exposure to geopolitical risks and maintain its leadership in the global nuclear energy market.
With demand for uranium for power generation expected to increase by nearly 30% by 2035 and African producing countries such as Niger, Namibia and Zambia seeking capital and technology partners to scale up production, this strategy offers mutually beneficial growth opportunities. For France, it supports energy security and industrial competitiveness. For African producers, it provides long-term investment, reliable yields and technical expertise.
The strategy is in line with France’s broader ambitions to secure access to critical minerals beyond uranium essential for energy transition technologies, with global demand expected to quadruple by 2030. Since Africa holds a 30% share of the world’s critical minerals, this strategy presents a major opportunity for France to secure metal supplies.
France’s African market footprint
France enters this new initiative with an established presence across the African mining value chain, offering investors a combination of operational experience, financing capabilities and technical know-how. Orano and ErametFrance has played a role in the growth of several mining markets in Africa. Eramet operates the Grand Court mineral sands project in Senegal and is one of the world’s largest producers of ilmenite, zircon, rutile and leucosine.
Eramet also operates the Moanda Metallurgical and Moanda Industrial manganese projects in Gabon, while Orano maintains uranium operations in Niger and is expanding its footprint in Africa through exploration in Botswana.
France’s participation extends beyond mining operations to finance, infrastructure and energy solutions. French renewable energy company voltaria is partnering with the International Finance Corporation, an investment institution, to finance and deploy renewable power solutions for mining projects across Africa. French Development Agency It also provided a €300 million loan to South Africa’s state-owned logistics company Transnet to support decarbonization efforts and improve efficiency across mineral transportation and export infrastructure. In Gabon, Setrag, a subsidiary of Eramet’s Comilog, operates a rail network linking the eastern and western parts of the country, facilitating the movement of minerals, goods and services.
French service providers also play an important role in Africa’s mining ecosystem. Companies such as Geodrill and Technidrill support exploration and production operations across mineral-rich jurisdictions, including Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Mali.
Against this backdrop, Africa Mining Week, to be held from 14 to 16 October in Cape Town, will serve as an important platform to connect French investors and companies with new opportunities across the African mining value chain.
