Western Australia’s newly appointed Minister for Mines, Petroleum and Exploration, and Water, the Hon Daniel Pastorelli MLA, has used his address to the Africa Down Under conference to highlight the expanding trade, investment and technology partnership between the state and the African continent.
Speaking at the Africa Down Under conference, Pastorelli, who was appointed to the portfolio in July, described the relationship between Western Australia and Africa as one of the most enduring and successful resource partnerships in the world, spanning mining, critical minerals, renewable energy and mining technology.
He pointed to Western Australia’s partnership with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, formalised through a memorandum of understanding signed in 2014, as continuing to underpin the relationship.
He said the links were delivering tangible outcomes for businesses on both sides of the Indian Ocean.
The trade figures underline the scale of the connection.
In 2025, Western Australia’s goods exports to African countries were valued at $1.5 billion, led by aluminium ores, concentrates, civil engineering equipment and precious metals, while goods imports from African countries reached $1.9 billion over the same period.
Today, 106 Western Australian companies are operating 196 projects across 27 African countries, mining 23 different commodities.
“I will add, all of these numbers have increased since the last ADU conference, only highlighting the strength of our sectors,” said Pastorelli.
He said the projects were helping meet growing global demand for the resources that underpin modern economies, and demonstrated the depth of the partnership between Western Australia and Africa, along with the opportunities still ahead.
Pastorelli noted that Western Australia and many African nations shared common challenges around safety, environmental management and sustainable development, creating valuable opportunities for partnership, innovation and knowledge sharing.
He also touted Western Australia’s leadership in advanced mining technologies, pointing to autonomous haul trucks, drill rigs and rail systems that are improving safety, productivity and operational performance, with many of these operations managed remotely from control centres in Perth despite being located thousands of kilometres away in regional WA.
The state government, he added, is backing collaborative research to industry projects, with funding available for priorities including low emissions technologies, critical minerals processing and the repurposing of mine waste.
He said these innovations would help keep the sector globally competitive while strengthening collaboration between Western Australia and its African partners.
Turning to the domestic economy, Pastorelli said Western Australia continued to outperform despite global uncertainty, driven by the strength of its mining industry.
“I say with confidence and pride that you are currently in the strongest state in Australia across all metrics,” he said.
According to the minister, the state’s resources sector generated more than $225 billion in sales last year alone and supports more than 136,000 jobs, while delivering more than $10 billion in royalties and related revenue to help fund hospitals, schools, roads and essential services across WA.
Western Australia currently ranks first globally for commodities including iron ore and lithium, and remains among the world’s leading producers of liquefied natural gas, alumina and gold.
Pastorelli said the state’s vision was to remain a destination of choice for investment, innovation and responsible resource development, supporting a sector that is globally competitive, environmentally responsible and positioned to meet the needs of a changing world.
