The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is spearheading efforts to expand Africa’s copper market, with three member states – Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zambia and Namibia – set to showcase their growing potential at the upcoming African Mining Week in Cape Town.
As the continent’s two largest copper producers, the DRC and Zambia are driving market growth through substantial investments in production, exploration and modernisation.
The DRC produced 3.3 million metric tonnes of copper in 2024, a 12.6 percent year-on-year increase.
The country’s copper production last year accounted for 11 percent of global output.
The expansion of Ivanhoe Mines’ Kamoa-Kakula project and significant investments by Eurasian Resources Group and China’s CMOC Group have positioned the DRC as a global copper powerhouse.
Zambia, which aims to reach an annual copper production of three million tonnes by 2031, has introduced reforms to attract investors, including reallocating over 1,000 mining licenses and launching a digital mining license platform in February 2025.
Key projects such as the recapitalisation of the Mopani Mine and the relaunch of Konkola Copper Mine have strengthened the country’s copper output.
Meanwhile, Namibia has intensified exploration efforts, with Canada’s Koryx advancing its Haib Copper Project and Trigon Metals accelerating development at its Kalahari Copper Project, supported by European Union funding.
African Mining Week will bring together industry leaders, policymakers and investors to discuss trends, forge partnerships and explore Africa’s untapped mineral potential.
JN/APA