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This is part one of a two-part special on Angola’s critical minerals. Look out for the next episode dropping in your feeds on Tuesday, 26 August.
My journey began in Luanda, Angola’s buzzing capital perched on the Atlantic coast. Home to more than 10 million people, it’s a city of sharp contrasts: gleaming towers overlook fishing boats in the bay, and the scent of sea air competes with diesel and street food. Luanda is the beating heart of Angola’s economy – and the gateway to its growing ambitions.
At the core of Angola’s transformation is a high-stakes race playing out across the continent. With mining surging in the region, the Western-backed Lobito Corridor is becoming a key strategic route – designed to rival China’s longstanding grip on African infrastructure and minerals.
That’s why I was in town for the US-Africa Business Summit, hosted by the Corporate Council on Africa. More than 2,700 attendees descended on Luanda, including heads of state from across the continent and 31 official delegations. Among them: the United States, eager to reset its narrative in Africa.
The message was unmistakable – for Washington, the Lobito Corridor isn’t just infrastructure. It’s strategy. It’s symbolism. And it’s central to America’s attempt to deepen its ties with Africa.
But the US is arriving late to a game China’s been playing – and winning – for decades.
In city after city, from Kinshasa to Lusaka, China has poured billions into roads, railways, 5G, ports and power. It has built schools and airports, hospitals, and stadiums – not just projects, but presence. It’s also secured dominant stakes in the minerals that power the modern world, including vast reserves of copper and cobalt critical to EVs and clean energy.
So now, Washington is on a charm offensive – trying to catch up, build trust, and prove that its brand of partnership is different.
Along the way, I met some truly interesting people. While in Luanda, I sat down with Conor Coleman of the US International Development Finance Corporation to unpack how the current U.S. administration views its role in Africa. I also caught up with Helaina Matza of TechMet, who until recently was the US State Department’s coordinator for the flagship PGII initiative – America’s answer to China’s Belt and Road. You might remember her from the very first episode of Fast Forward last year.
One unexpected attendee at the summit was Massad Boulos, the US Special Adviser on Africa under US President Donald Trump – a figure closely involved in regional diplomacy, including the DRC-Rwanda peace talks.
He’s been working behind the scenes on peace negotiations between the two countries, which could pave the way for a new economic integration framework – backed by the US – in one of the world’s most mineral-rich, and most volatile, regions.
I had the chance to meet many African leaders – from business executives to heads of state. I moderated a keynote high level dialogue on critical minerals, and spoke with Presidents and Prime Ministers on how they view the landscape.
If there’s one thing that became abundantly clear at the summit, it’s this: African leaders are no longer passive players in someone else’s game. They want growth. They want agency. And they want real partnerships – the kind that last beyond ribbon cuttings and press releases.
The real question isn’t whether the US can outspend China. It’s whether it can offer something more lasting – more equitable, collaborative, and trusted.
In the midst of all this, I was recording a podcast – wandering around Luanda with a microphone, quietly talking into it while jotting down notes in a notebook. To passers-by, I probably looked a bit unhinged. But those voice notes and observations helped me capture the atmosphere in real time – the sounds, the energy, and the unscripted moments that don’t always make it into formal interviews.
There was so much content, we decided to have two episodes. So, after you’ve listened to part one, join me in part two.
Join Andrea in part two as she heads to Lobito – the future terminus of this vast new corridor – to visit its mineral terminal, and hop aboard a Lobito Atlantic Railway freight train loaded with copper from Congo, bound for global markets. Subscribe to Fast Forward today so you’re the first to hear it.