Across Africa, a new breed of startups is transforming how mineral wealth is captured by bringing structure, transparency, and value closer to home. In Nigeria, crackdowns on illegal mining sparked a formalization wave, driving a 500% revenue surge and, recently, attracting over $600 million in lithium processing investments. Riding this momentum, tech firms like Sabi, Kemcore, and Matta are tackling trust gaps in mineral supply chains, providing an avenue for global buyers to verify the mostly informal trade in minerals. Sabi’s TRACE platform verifies exports like lithium and cocoa; Kemcore builds reagent plants to slash refining delays for cobalt; and Matta is digitizing the procurement supply chain for manufacturers across West Africa. Though their models differ, these startups share one thing: they are distinctly African. More importantly, the problems they tackle could make African minerals globally competitive.
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