2027 Agenda

Can graphite’s long-term demand story overcome today’s oversupply?

Graphite remains fundamental to lithium-ion batteries, with EV and energy-storage demand expected to drive significant long-term consumption growth. Yet natural graphite prices remain under pressure amid near-term oversupply, competition from low-cost synthetic graphite and China’s dominance across the value chain. As the market looks beyond the current surplus, when could fundamentals begin to tighten and can Africa position itself ahead of the next supply cycle?

The big questions:

• Why isn't demand growth translating into stronger market sentiment?
• Does abundant low-cost synthetic alternatives can disrupt graphite market?
• Can supply chains diversify beyond China?