DRC’s Minister of Mines to Spotlight $20 Trillion Mining Potential at African Mining Week 2025

Louis Watum Kabamba, Minister of Mines for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has been confirmed as a key speaker at African Mining Week (AMW) 2025, taking place from October 1–3 in Cape Town. As Africa’s leading mining industry summit, AMW will convene top stakeholders to shape the continent’s mineral future.

Minister Kabamba will join fellow ministers from Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and South Sudan in the high-level Ministerial Forum, where discussions will center on advancing mineral beneficiation and value addition across Africa.

With the DRC holding an estimated $20 trillion in untapped mineral wealth and supplying over 70% of the world’s cobalt—a cornerstone of clean energy technologies—Kabamba’s presence at AMW comes at a critical moment for global supply chain resilience and industrial growth. He is expected to present the country’s latest regulatory reforms and investment incentives aimed at attracting international capital and strengthening the DRC’s role in global commodities markets.

Momentum Builds in DRC’s Mining Sector

The Minister’s participation follows a surge in foreign investment and strategic partnerships in the DRC’s mining landscape:

• In September 2025, the DRC signed a mining cooperation agreement with Kazakhstan, drawing new investment from Eurasian Resources Group to develop the Kalukundi copper-cobalt mine.
• In June, UAE-based International Resources Holding acquired a 56% stake in Alphamin Resources—operator of the Bisie tin mine—in a $367 million deal.
• U.S. startup Kobold Metals secured exploration rights for the Manono lithium deposit, one of the world’s largest untapped reserves.

• Ivanhoe Mines is injecting $1.67 billion to expand output at the Kamoa-Kakula and Kipushi projects, with copper production expected to rise from 240,000 tons in 2025 to 250,000 tons in 2026.

With investor confidence on the rise and major projects gaining traction, AMW 2025 offers a strategic platform for Minister Kabamba to engage global stakeholders, showcase priority developments, and forge new partnerships that will shape the future of mining in Africa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.