Building infrastructure for Africa’s future: Reimagining agriculture and resources

As the global economy reconfigures around new priorities, Africa’s role is evolving from resource supplier to strategic growth partner. From agriculture to energy and critical minerals, the continent’s future hinges on infrastructure that enables inclusive, industrial progress. Cheryl Buss, CEO of Absa International, explores why rethinking how we design, finance and deliver infrastructure is key to unlocking Africa’s potential and securing long-term prosperity.

Africa is at a defining moment. With vast reserves of critical minerals and the world’s largest share of uncultivated arable land, the continent is far more than a source of raw materials – it is a strategic global partner. But realising this potential requires rethinking how we design, finance, and deliver infrastructure, not as isolated assets but as the backbone of inclusive, industrial growth.

To truly serve Africa’s future, infrastructure must be aligned with its most transformative sectors – particularly agriculture, energy, mining, and resources – and support regional integration and intra-African trade, which remain central to building long-term resilience and prosperity.

Reimagining infrastructure for agricultural transformation

Despite its immense potential, Africa remains a net food importer. Nearly two-thirds of the world’s uncultivated arable land is African, yet the continent imports over $40 billion in food annually. Unlocking this capacity goes far beyond needing more than roads or irrigation systems, instead demanding an integrated ecosystem where infrastructure is reinforced by policy reform, innovative finance, and community-driven solutions. First, Africa must move beyond donor dependency and mobilise capital for climate-smart agriculture. Digital platforms and mobile money services can bridge financing gaps for smallholder farmers, improving access to microloans, insurance, and local markets.

Second, cooperative models and public-private partnerships offer a proven blueprint for scale. Standout success stories from Kenya’s tea sector and West Africa’s cashew industry demonstrate how producer cooperatives can enhance processing capacity, mitigate risk, and increase farmer incomes. With the right infrastructure and policy support, these models can be scaled to other crops and regions.

Technology is equally vital. The adoption of genetically modified (GM) seeds can significantly increase yields, enhance pest resistance, and reduce the need to expand into unsuitable land, making African agriculture both more productive and sustainable.

Unlocking intra-African trade through infrastructure

But perhaps the greatest enabler is the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Its full implementation could transform food security by unlocking local markets and enhancing agricultural commercialisation across borders. However, this requires governments to tackle longstanding trade barriers, including weak transport links, inefficient customs procedures, inconsistent standards, and protectionist policies. Investments in cross-border infrastructure, digital trade platforms, and institutional capacity building are crucial to enabling agriculture to transition from subsistence to scale. The end goal is a sector that feeds both Africa and the world sustainably and competitively.

Future-proofing critical minerals through systemic investment

Africa’s critical minerals – cobalt, lithium, graphite, and more – are essential components of the global energy transition. However, the sector is facing growing pressure under environmental, social, and governance (ESG) frameworks, particularly from global financiers. Many African operators, particularly smaller firms, still lack the capacity for ESG reporting and compliance, limiting access to sustainable capital. 

But the issue is systemic. Solving it requires investment not just in mines, but in the ecosystems around them: for example, building renewable energy systems that power both mining operations and surrounding communities, or upgrading transport corridors to improve efficiency, reduce emissions and enable regional trade. These investments are inherently ESG-aligned and promote regional development.

Developments in the lithium sector highlight both the urgency and opportunity here. Countries like Zimbabwe and Nigeria have rapidly increased their lithium exports, with artisanal and small-scale miners (ASM) playing a major role. In 2023, ASM accounted for nearly two-thirds of Africa’s lithium output — volumes significant enough to influence global surpluses. This informal supply has drawn considerable Chinese investment, including large-scale processing plants now under construction in Nigeria. However, inconsistent power supplies and lack of infrastructure have constrained production, revealing the critical need for systemic investment not just in mines, but in energy, logistics, and processing ecosystems.

Tailored financing models are also critical in the shift towards a just transition. Communities and workers cannot bear the full cost of sustainability transitions on their own. Blended finance and de-risking tools must be deployed to support more equitable pathways to sustainability. Regulation must also play a more enabling role, through methods like lowering capital requirements for sustainability-linked loans, adopting green finance taxonomies, and reducing bureaucratic barriers to ESG financing. Combined, these can catalyse broader change.

However, securing the future of the continent’s critical minerals industry also means breaking the cycle of exporting raw materials. Local beneficiation – processing and refining resources domestically – can capture greater economic value, reduce the carbon footprint of exports, and position Africa as a hub for low-carbon technologies and advanced manufacturing. In the case of lithium, African countries have struggled to move beyond raw ore exports, partly due to limited concentrator capacity and high processing costs. Nigeria’s first operational lithium mill is reportedly running at low utilisation due to unstable infrastructure. Yet with rising demand and global competition, there is a real opportunity for African nations to build integrated, value-added supply chains that serve both local development and global clean energy goals. This is essential if the continent is to move from being a participant in value chains to a true value creator.

A pan-African mandate

Africa’s future won’t be defined solely by what lies underground, but by the systems built above it. This calls for bold, cross-border collaboration between governments, investors, communities, and innovators to design infrastructure that fuels industrial growth, empowers communities, and enhances environmental resilience. 

This will require a step-change in how infrastructure is financed and delivered. Aligning private capital with public good, strengthening governance, and reducing systemic risk are all crucial to attracting sustainable investment. But perhaps most importantly, growth must be equitable and shared fairly across borders and sectors.

The continent is not starting from zero. The AfCFTA, digital innovation, and a growing pool of local expertise are already paving the way towards inclusive and sustainable growth. And, if governments, investors, and institutions can align around a shared vision, Africa can move beyond extraction and dependence. With the right infrastructure, the continent can feed itself, power the world’s green transition, and become a dynamic, indispensable partner in shaping the global economy of the future.