Africa's Copperbelt sets off investment race for EV metals

TOKYO -- Businesses from the U.S., Japan and Europe are moving to tap mineral reserves in Central Africa, using the latest technologies to locate critical electric vehicle materials, as China currently dominates development on the continent.

The so-called Copperbelt spans across the border of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and is one of the world's leading mining regions. Copper and cobalt, also found in the region, are used to make EV batteries.