The global aluminium price is on a rising trend, reaching a four-year high, especially because of the ongoing tensions in the Middle East. In March 2026, the aluminium price rose to USD 3,492 per tonne. In the upcoming African Mining Week (AMW) 2026, which is being scheduled for October 14-16 in Cape Town, the discussion will cover the ongoing and rising challenges and opportunities that are being faced by Africa, especially in the global aluminium supply chain.

Africa & the closure of the Strait of Hormuz

About 12 per cent of the global aluminium trade is handled via the Strait of Hormuz. However, due to the attacks on industrial sites throughout the Middle East, which is said to contribute nearly 9 per cent of the global output, the Strait of Hormuz had to temporarily shut down, throwing a wrench in the global supply chain.

As of now, in Africa, there is only one alumina refinery which is operational, which is the RUSAL-run Friguia refinery in Guinea, making African markets particularly vulnerable to global supply disruptions and price swings.

Irrespective of Africa holding more than 30 per cent of the world’s bauxite reserves, it only accounts for less than 1 per cent of global alumina refining capacity. With this contrast, it can be said that the country is facing a tremendous gap in terms of available resources and processing infrastructure needed.

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Consequently, many African economies find themselves heavily dependent on imported aluminium products, especially from the Middle East. South Africa, the continent’s most industrialised nation, sources a significant portion of its unwrought aluminium imports from Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with Bahrain alone making up more than 42 per cent of these imports.

African Mining Week (AMW) to focus on this

In the AMW 2026, the presence of government officials, project developers, investors, and industry leaders will be graced. In this event, the leaders will dive into strategies aiding in enhancing Africa’s position in the global aluminium supply chain.

The main discussion will be around boosting investments in bauxite mining, alumina refining, and aluminium processing infrastructure. Besides this, the discussion will include drafting measures to reduce the reliance on imports and build a stronger, resilient industrial base within the region.

Other projects to ramp up the African aluminium industry

In order to unlock and push Africa's potential in the global aluminium hub, there are multiple projects lined up. The top bauxite producer in the world, Guinea, is now aiming to set up a total of six alumina refineries, which are deemed to produce nearly 7 million tonnes per year.

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On the other hand, Nigeria is planning to start with its very first large-scale alumina refinery by acquiring an investment worth USD 1.3 billion from the Africa Finance Corporation and the Solid Minerals Development Fund.

Alongside this, Ghana and Cameroon are also taking necessary actions to push up their own alumina refining projects, where the sole aim is to boost the local mineral processing, enhance industrial capacity and minimise risks which are deemed to be associated with the global supply disruptions.

Connecting these projects in the AMW discussion

AWM, by conducting engaging panel discussions, showcases of various projects and opening networking opportunities, the event will link various foreign investors with the African projects in the bauxite and alumina vertical of the aluminium value chain.

The event is designed in a way that it opens up building effective partnerships as well as the signing of deals. This shall help Africa to propel the shift from being a major exporter of raw materials to a strong competitor in the global aluminium market.

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