Once overlooked in global development discussions, the African continent has emerged as a rising powerhouse in the 21st century. Africa makes up 20% of the Earth’s landmass, accounts for 18.4% of the global population, and is home to six of the ten fastest growing economies in the world. Looking ahead, Africa is actively shaping a new narrative—one that reflects its aspirations, innovation, and growing role on the global stage.

Many countries have taken notice of the immense potential that Africa holds, with China in particular ramping up investments on the continent. Launched in 2013, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is an ambitious project initiated by Beijing with the goal of “building a new global system of alternative economic, political, and security ‘interdependencies’ with China at the center.” Beijing has opened BRI projects around the world, particularly in key strategic African countries such as Djibouti, Kenya, and Tanzania that include building ports and improving existing railroads. In 2023, Chinese infrastructure investment in Africa totaled $400 billion, dwarfing the U.S.’s  $56.29 billion spent in the same field on the continent that same year.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) stands out as a key country for the United States to consider in reimagining its investment strategy in Africa. The DRC’s history is a microcosm of the African continent: after gaining independence from Belgium in 1960, the country has been continuously plagued by political instability, internal and external conflicts, a poor economy, and widespread corruption. Despite these issues, the country has enormous economic potential within its borders. The DRC currently ranks second in copper production globally and accounts for 80% of all cobalt production worldwide as of 2024, far more than any other country. It is estimated that the country holds anywhere from $24 to $35 trillion worth of natural resources within its borders. These industries, combined with large swathes of arable land, immense hydroelectric power potential, and the second largest rainforest in the world mean that the DRC’s economic potential is immense and valuable to its own economic growth and to many other countries.

While China is ahead of the United States in terms of investment in Africa, over the past few decades the U.S. has initiated various economic, infrastructure, and health projects on the continent, with one notable initiative being the Lobito Corridor. This project aims to rejuvenate a railroad from the copper and cobalt-rich areas of the DRC and Zambia to the Angolan port city of Lobito. Theoretically, this will improve the exportation of these precious metals across the world, with the United States being a major potential economic ally. The U.S. International Development Finance Committee (DFC) pledged $250 million in February 2024 to help expand the railroad, which will simultaneously help Angola, the DRC and Zambia grow going forward.

Despite this investment into improving the Lobito Corridor, the United States is still competing with China on the continent. This is reflected by the fact that in 2023, China overtook the United States in terms of the highest average approval rating on the continent. The Center for Strategic and International Studies echoes this sentiment, saying that the lack of U.S. presence in the DRC “has enabled China to further cement its dominance in one of the most resource-rich nations in the world.” While Africa is by no means a monolith and has a variety of differing opinions across its countries, this increasingly pro-China shift should put the United States on notice and force their hand at prioritizing the re-framing of their investment strategy on the African continent. Investing in Lobito Corridor improvements would show the commitment to this policy shift, as it ensures the regional improvement of the African countries involved in contrast to the China-centered policies promoted by the BRI.

While economic investment on the African continent has numerous benefits and advantages, many Americans are unaware of the positives that come from increased investment, asking the question of why should we invest? It is a fair question, as countries like the DRC are too far away and not a factor in the everyday life of most Americans. However, it is important to consider that it is not necessarily the mining of these resources that is important, but rather the processing that allows them to be put into those everyday items that we love. Investing in projects like the Lobito Corridor would call for more copper processing plants in the U.S., which satisfies the dual purpose of creating more jobs on the domestic market while improving existing infrastructure in countries who would reap the benefits.

When President Trump assumed office, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that he wanted to make the United States “safer, stronger, and more prosperous.” Investment in projects such as the Lobito Corridor accomplishes all three of these goals while simultaneously benefiting multiple countries in the process. The Belt and Road Initiative can be exploitative. The Lobito Corridor emphasizes transparency and sustainability while facilitating economic growth in the DRC, Zambia, and Angola. The United States would be wise to look towards the African Continent as a whole, and the DRC in particular if we want to remain safer, stronger, and more prosperous going forward in the 21st century.