The UK has announced a fresh wave of initiatives to deepen partnerships with Africa on critical minerals, sustainable development and small-business growth at Mining Indaba 2026, reinforcing

its ambition to support inclusive economic growth while strengthening global supply chains vital to the clean energy transition.

The announcements, made during Mining Indaba 2026, build on the UK Prime Minister’s visit to South Africa in November and highlight a growing UK focus on long-term, mutually beneficial collaboration across the continent.

Backing critical minerals and Africa’s clean-energy future

At the heart of the UK’s message was the importance of international cooperation to unlock Africa’s role in global battery and clean-energy value chains. Opening a high-level discussion on regional collaboration, British High Commissioner to South Africa Antony Phillipson praised South Africa’s leadership at a pivotal moment for the sector.

He said the UK’s approach is deliberately pragmatic and partnership-driven, designed to crowd in private investment while ensuring minerals are produced and traded responsibly, transparently and sustainably.

This work is guided by the UK’s Critical Minerals Strategy, launched by the Prime Minister during the Johannesburg G20 Summit, which sets out a vision for more resilient and diversified global supply chains. The strategy sits within the UK’s wider Africa Approach, which emphasises partnerships based on equality, mutual benefit and alignment with African governments’ priorities.

The UK offer draws on deep expertise in mining, engineering, professional services, finance, ESG standards, traceability and community-centred development. Given the scale and complexity of the sector, UK officials stressed the need for regional collaboration and coalitions of like-minded partners to unlock value and build shared capabilities across borders.

New finance facility to boost South African SMEs

Alongside the critical-minerals agenda, the UK Government confirmed a new partnership with Anglo American to launch a £2 million Impact Finance Facility aimed at expanding access to finance for South African small and medium-sized enterprises.

Delivered through the Impact Finance Network, the facility is designed to support SMEs as key drivers of job creation in an economy where unemployment remains above 40%. UK funding to help businesses scale and attract investment is expected to support the creation of around 5,000 new jobs.

The initiative builds on a programme first announced during the Prime Minister’s visit to Johannesburg in November, backed by more than R100 million in UK funding. That programme aims to unlock up to R500 million in private investment for South African businesses.

Officials described the new facility as a catalytic, value-for-money model: UK capital will be used to mobilise at least three times as much additional funding from other investors, repayments will be recycled to extend long-term impact, and the approach signals a shift from traditional donor funding to an investor mindset.

The work sits within the broader UK–SA Growth Partnership, which supports economic diversification, regional development and South Africa’s Just Energy Transition.

A joined-up UK agenda at Mining Indaba

Across its engagements at Mining Indaba, the UK is presenting a coherent offer that links responsible critical-minerals partnerships with inclusive growth beyond mining, SME finance, economic diversification and the global clean-energy transition.

Together, these initiatives underline how governments, investors and development partners can work with African countries to build fairer, more resilient supply chains – and ensure the economic benefits of Africa’s mineral wealth are shared more widely.

Further information

- The Impact Finance Network combines finance, technical support and market access for high-potential SMEs

- The UK–SA Growth Partnership promotes trade, investment, innovation and Just Energy Transition cooperation

- The UK’s Critical Minerals Strategy and International Engagement Plan set out its approach to resilient global supply chains

All announcements were made during Mining Indaba 2026. Photo by Ryanj93, Wikimedia commons.