Morocco, Namibia, and De Beers: Africa's Resource Deals Making Global Headlines This Week
July 31, 2026: Africa's critical minerals and energy sectors draw fresh global capital across the Sahel.
Welcome to the Friday edition of Insights Dispatch, our flagship brief of the latest developments bridging Africa and the Gulf
U.S. Launches $5.7 Million Western Sahara Green Energy Project
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency has awarded $5.7 million to ORNX—a consortium of America’s Ortus Climate Mitigation and the Spanish-German Acciona-Nordex Green Hydrogen venture—marking Washington’s first federal support for a renewable energy project in Western Sahara, Bloomberg reported.
The grant funds a feasibility study for a proposed $4.5 billion green ammonia plant in Laayoune, expected to produce 560,000 metric tonnes annually using solar and wind power.
The funding underscores deepening U.S.-Morocco ties since Washington recognized Rabat’s sovereignty over the disputed territory in 2020. The funding also acts as another major step in the development of Morocco’s green energy sector, which has been a major focus of Gulf investments in the North African kingdom. Saudi Arabia’s Acwa Power, for instance, recently gained a permit in northern Morocco tied to the Khalladi wind project.
Japan Backs Namibia Rare Earth Project to Cut China Dependence
Japan’s JOGMEC will invest up to C$47.7 million ($33.9 million) in TJ Namibia Rare Earths, a Toyota Tsusho subsidiary, to develop the Lofdal heavy rare earth deposit in Namibia’s Kunene Region, potentially Japan’s first rare earth mine in Africa. The deposit holds significant dysprosium and terbium, critical for magnets used in EVs, wind turbines and defense equipment.
The investment is part of Tokyo’s push to diversify mineral supply chains after China repeatedly tightened rare earth export controls, including measures targeting Japan in January and twice in February this year. A feasibility study will now proceed toward a final decision by March 2027.
The move draws in a new player into the wider chase for critical minerals across Africa. Gulf mining companies will take closer note in order to identify growing competitors.
Anglo American Nears $1 Billion De Beers Sale Amid Diamond Slump
Anglo American Plc is in talks to offload its De Beers diamond business for roughly $1 billion, Bloomberg reported, a steep markdown for a company once synonymous with global diamond dominance. The move continues Anglo’s portfolio overhaul since repelling BHP Group’s nearly $50 billion takeover bid in 2024.
A prolonged downturn in diamond demand has repeatedly hit De Beers’ valuation, with Anglo booking three impairment charges over three years and cutting the unit’s book value to $2.3 billion by February. A $1 billion price tag would mark a sharp discount to that figure and to De Beers’ storied past as the industry’s near-monopoly leader.
The move comes as Botswana, one of the world’s largest diamond producers, has been looking to increase its stake in De Beers, in conjunction with investors in the UAE and Oman.