Review articleThe half-lives of African uranium: A historical review

•This article reviews the history of uranium mining in sub-Saharan Africa.•Dynamics obscuring the role of Africa in the nuclear world are shifting.•The future of uranium extracted from the continent and the increasing interest in producing nuclear power require further research.

This review examines the history of uranium mining in sub-Saharan Africa to contextualize recent extraction developments on the continent. From the secretive days of uranium mining in the first half of the twentieth century to today's ambitions of African nations to domestically mine uranium and generate nuclear power, Africa remains largely invisible from the global nuclear record in spite of its historical significance. The Cold War dynamics that bound the nuclear world are increasingly untenable as African states turn to nuclear power to meet growing energy deficits. This article reveals how African states challenge narratives serving to obscure the African origins of uranium. Connecting the history of uranium mining with non-proliferation agreements and aspirations for nuclear power, this review examines the current place of Africa in the nuclear world, and looks to the future.