2027 Agenda

The 2027 Ministerial Symposium will examine how African countries can move from pursuing investment through largely national strategies towards building stronger, complementary positions within regional and global mineral value chains. Building on the 2025 focus on integrated value chains and the 2026 emphasis on mobilising capital, The Advantage Imperative asks a more fundamental question: where does Africa’s competitive advantage lie, and how can countries deliberately build around it?

Through a combination of plenary discussion, focused roundtables and a closed-door ministerial session, the Symposium will move from defining advantage, to confronting the political and economic trade-offs involved in regional specialisation, to identifying the capabilities and partnerships required to build it. The objective is to shift the conversation from aspiration to strategic choice. The focus is on identifying complementary strengths, addressing gaps and dependencies, and determining where cooperation can unlock greater investment, industrialisation and value capture.