Zambian Mining News The Premium Source of Information on The Zambian Mining Industry
Related Articles
Ivanhoe Mines’ Kamoa-Kakula operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) produced 76,401 tonnes of saleable copper products in the third quarter of 2026, up about 19% on the previous quarter. The gain comes as global demand for copper grows, driven by electrification, renewable energy, electric vehicles, data infrastructure and expanding power networks. The International Copper Study Group expects refined copper usage to grow by 1.5% in 2026 and 2.5% in 2027.
Producing more copper while capturing more of its value is the opportunity now before the DRC and the wider Copperbelt,but sustaining that output will demand continued investment in exploration, mine development and infrastructure. Ivanhoe points to its partnership with the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) as an example of the part long term capital plays in opening up future mining opportunities. “We are excited to build this long-term, world-class alliance as we unlock new untapped potential in our hunt for the next generation of great discoveries, which we will sustainably mine together,” said Marna Cloete, Chief Executive Officer of Ivanhoe.
The value opportunity runs well beyond mine as processing, refining and manufacturing can create new businesses, jobs and skills while strengthening the region’s position in global supply chains. In Zambia, government efforts to restrict exports of unprocessed copper are aimed at encouraging greater domestic processing and manufacturing. Discussions with companies such as China’s Wuxi Jiangnan Cable point to the potential for copper to feed local production of electrical cables and industrial components. In the DRC, state owned miner Gécamines and commodities trader Mercuria have partnered to strengthen copper and cobalt trading capabilities and market access, demonstrating another route to retaining more value within the country.
Infrastructure will decide how far those ambitions go. The planned US$300Mn Kalumbila–Kolwezi Interconnector Project will connect Zambia and the DRC through a proposed 200 km power line, highlighting the importance of cross border energy infrastructure to mining and industrial development. At Kamoa-Kakula, a renewable energy agreement with Green World Energie is expected to increase renewable baseload power to 60 MW, with plans to double this within 18 months. Barrick’s Lumwana Super Pit expansion shows the scale of investment flowing into Zambia’s copper sector, while the Lobito and Nacala corridors are improving connections between mineral producing regions, ports and markets. These projects address different bottlenecks but share a common requirement, which is partnerships that move infrastructure from ambition to delivery.
Regional value chains are the longer prize. The copper and cobalt resources of the DRC and Zambia provide a strong foundation for developing regional battery, manufacturing and other downstream industries, and research by the International Institute for Sustainable Development highlights the potential to connect the Copperbelt’s mineral resources with them. Resources alone will not build competitive value chains, however. Investment, reliable energy, transport, skills, technology and access to markets must come together.
“Africa’s mineral wealth will only deliver lasting economic value if governments create the conditions for industry and investors to build competitive value chains around it. That means moving from resource extraction to regional processing, manufacturing, trade and building the partnerships and infrastructure needed to make that shift commercially viable,” said Zeinab El-Sayed, Director of Government and Institutional Partnerships at Mining Indaba.
The challenge is to align government policy with private investment and regional infrastructure, while connecting producers with downstream industrial buyers. For the Copperbelt, the opportunity is to turn rising mineral production into stronger regional industries, greater economic participation and more value retained locally. Laura Nicholson, Industry Director at Mining Indaba, said, “Demand is rising, but there are questions around supply, and whether Africa’s value chains can come on stream fast enough.”
These issues will be explored at Investing in African Mining Indaba 2027 through sessions including What Will Trigger the Next Copper Super Cycle?, How Are Governments Redefining the Value of Their Mineral Resources? and Building Advantage: Enabling Infrastructure for Industrial Value Chains. The event takes place from 8 to 11 February 2027 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), under the theme “Stronger Together: Partnerships in Practice.”
