Thought Leadership
OP-Ed: From Labs to Listings. How the AfroHackathon Can Unlock Africa’s First Lithium-Ion IPOs
Africa is inextricably linked to the global decarbonising future, but the cycle must be broken that has defined this transition for eons: exporting unprocessed lithium, cobalt, manganese, nickel, phosphates and graphite while importing finished batteries at a premium. The Lithium-Ion Battery Value Chain is brutally clear. Mining captures just $11 billion, while value-added segments and end-user markets i.e. Electric Vehicles (EVs) and Battery energy storage systems (BESS) send a minimum $7 trillion beyond the continent’s shores.