African Mining Week 2026 will be held in Cape Town, South Africa, on October 14–16, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders and investors to assess how recent mining law reforms across Africa are influencing investment decisions and downstream processing plans, according to a statement distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power on March 11, 2026.

The conference comes as several mineral-producing and frontier markets revise mining codes, introduce new bills and adjust licensing rules in an effort to attract capital, diversify mineral output and capture more value through beneficiation. Energy Capital & Power said modernised legal and regulatory frameworks are aimed at providing clearer rules and improving transparency, factors that can affect financing, exploration activity and project development timelines.

In Liberia, the government is preparing to introduce a new Mining Code “within the next three months” and plans to create a National Mining Company to increase state participation in major projects, Energy Capital & Power said. The publication reported that nearly 80% of Liberia remains geologically unexplored.

“Liberia’s geology is exceptionally rich,” said Matenokay Tingban, Minister of Mines and Energy, in an interview with Energy Capital & Power in January. “We are seeking geomapping and exploration partners. Access to geoscientific data will allow us to negotiate stronger investment deals and develop downstream infrastructure.”

Energy Capital & Power added that iron ore currently dominates Liberia’s output, with the country “targeting 30 million tons per year by 2026,” while the planned framework is expected to support diversification into other resources and encourage partnerships for exploration and downstream processing.

Namibia is finalising a new Minerals Bill to replace its 2002 legislation, with reforms intended to support local beneficiation, broader participation and investment competitiveness, the statement said. Isabella Chirchir, Mining Commissioner at Namibia’s Ministry of Industry and Mines, said the reforms aim “to attract capital to diversify production beyond diamonds and uranium toward strategic metals such as lithium and rare earths,” according to Energy Capital & Power.

In Central Africa, the Republic of Congo approved a draft mining code in November 2025 that introduces competitive bidding, formal permitting for small-scale miners and provisions to support in-country processing, Energy Capital & Power said. The measures are intended to improve transparency and strengthen domestic value chains for both traditional and strategic minerals.

Beyond these markets, Energy Capital & Power said Ivory Coast is revising its mining code to cover a broader range of minerals—naming chromium, coltan, lithium, copper, cobalt and iron ore—alongside its “existing base of 19 operating mines.” Somalia is also overhauling mining regulations to open up frontier resources including uranium, lithium, cobalt, gold and diamonds, it added.

Energy Capital & Power cited recent policy changes in Mali and Burkina Faso as examples of how regulatory shifts can coincide with production growth and new project pipelines. It said Mali introduced a new Mining Code in 2023 and “continues as Africa’s second-largest gold producer” while advancing lithium projects and a gold refinery with international partners Barrick and B2Gold. It also said Burkina Faso adopted a revised code in 2024 and increased gold production from “roughly 57–60 tons to 94 tons in 2025.”

For Kenya and East Africa, the push for clearer mining rules and licensing procedures in multiple African jurisdictions may intensify competition for exploration and development capital, particularly for minerals linked to battery supply chains such as lithium and rare earths. Regulatory changes in neighbouring and comparable markets can also influence investor expectations around permitting timelines, state participation and beneficiation requirements—factors that typically shape project economics and financing structures.

African Mining Week 2026 is expected to focus on how these legislative changes translate into project execution—from early-stage exploration to processing and refining—at a time when governments are seeking to expand local value addition and improve revenues from mineral extraction.