Guinea-Conakry plans to have five operational alumina refineries by 2030, with three already under construction, Daouda Diakité, Senior Adviser to Guinea’s Minister of Mines and Geology, announced during a ministerial panel at African Mining Week (AMW) 2026 in Cape Town on Wednesday.
The target forms part of Guinea’s Simandou 2040 strategy, which aims to transform the country from a raw mineral exporter into a regional processing and industrial hub. Under the plan, Guinea is targeting between seven and eight million tons of annual alumina production capacity by 2030, alongside investments in steel manufacturing, power generation and downstream infrastructure.
“Simandou 2040 is a strategy to shift from being a raw material exporter to developing a strong processing base that can sustain the country’s downstream sector. To achieve this, we are encouraging investment in domestic aluminum and steel production, as well as power projects that can support downstream development.,” he stated.
The strategy seeks to leverage Guinea’s extensive bauxite and iron ore resources to establish domestic processing industries, creating new opportunities for investment in refining, industrial infrastructure and electricity supply.
Diakité said the country is also advancing plans for domestic steel production linked to the Simandou iron ore project, with feasibility work underway.
“The steel from Simandou has to be processed in Guinea, and we are finishing the feasibility study for that,” he added.
Guinea is also working to operationalize a gold refinery, expanding its downstream ambitions beyond bauxite and iron ore.
Uganda is similarly positioning mineral processing as a driver of industrial growth and regional trade. Monica Musenero Masanza, Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, said the country is leveraging 10 gold refineries to provide processing services to neighboring East African markets.
“Rather than every nation enduring the high cost of building refineries, Uganda offers a regional solution. We allow our East African neighbors 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,” she stated.
Beyond gold, Uganda is expanding domestic processing capacity for tin, targeting 99.9% purity, while advancing iron ore and phosphate beneficiation to support infrastructure development and agriculture.
“Uganda’s rapid development requires massive amounts of steel and fertilizer. With 14 companies lined up to produce steel billets from local iron ore and active plans to process our phosphate reserves, we are adding value to our minerals directly to build our infrastructure and fuel our agricultural needs,” Masanza added.
Meanwhile, Egypt is positioning itself as a logistics and infrastructure partner for African mineral-producing countries, with plans to strengthen connections between mining operations, processing facilities and international markets.
Mohamed Zada, Deputy Minister for Strategic Industries, highlighted opportunities for cross-border investment in power generation, port infrastructure and mineral transport networks to support the continent’s expanding downstream sector.
“Egypt’s strategic location makes it a natural logistics hub. By partnering across the continent to build power plants and seaport infrastructure, we can optimize supply chains and bring Africa’s finished mineral products to global markets,” he stated.
The announcements at AMW 2026 highlight a growing emphasis on developing the refining, manufacturing and logistics infrastructure required to retain more mineral value within Africa, opening new investment opportunities across the continent’s mining value chain.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.