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Japan to Invest Billions in African Minerals, Infrastructure

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"Japan, China compete for influence in the developing continent."

Japan is keen to invest "billions of dollars" in minerals and infrastructure in Africa, trying to catch up to China for influence on the continent, a Japanese trade official said on Tuesday.

Yoshikatsu Nakayama, vice minister of economy, trade and industry, said Japan was scouting for projects in which to invest, either via its state-owned oil and mining company JOGMEC or via joint ventures between local and Japanese companies.

China has spent billions of dollars on projects in Africa, trying to secure the resources it needs to fuel its quickly accelerating economy.

Analysts said the investment has given China an advantage in building trade in the emerging economies of Africa, leaving Japan behind for influence in the continent of one billion consumers whose purchasing power is steadily increasing.

"Whether through JOGMEC directly participating or through JOGMEC providing loans to Japanese companies, the figure would come to a few hundred million dollars per project," Nakayama told Reuters on the sidelines of a mining conference.

Japan was also looking to develop South Africa's rare earth metal resources but Nakayama said it would take a long time for projects to bear fruit.

The metals used for making high-tech products and auto parts were used by China as leverage in a political dispute with Tokyo last year, with Beijing restricting exports and alarming Japan's top manufacturing firms.

Nakayama said Japan wanted to move into Africa gradually, even though the country had already been asked by some African mineral hubs such as Zambia why it was not pushing into Africa as aggressively as China.

Nakayama also said Japan was keen to develop Africa's infrastructure, including rail lines, power plants and other transport links, along with the mines.

Japan is already participating in a uranium project in Namibia and manganese and platinum projects in South Africa.

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