The presence and movement of foreign individuals in mining areas were key topics during the eighteenth meeting of the Council of Ministers on Friday, October 18, 2024. In his address, President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi expressed concerns about illegal foreign operations in the country’s mining regions. He emphasized that while the miningContinue Reading
The Zambian Government, through the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development, along with the Zambia Chamber of Mines, has expressed its support for the Geological and Minerals Development Bill 2024. This announcement follows a high-level stakeholder engagement meeting held last week. The event, organized under the Public Private Dialogue ForumContinue Reading
The Energy Regulation Board (ERB) has confirmed that Zambia currently has ample petroleum reserves to address recent fuel shortages seen in certain regions of the country. The ERB identified logistical challenges in cross-border fuel transport as the main cause of these localized shortages. To alleviate the issue, the ERB hasContinue Reading
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is actively seeking new investors to diversify its mining sector, currently dominated by China, according to Mines Minister Kizito Pakabomba. The DRC, home to world-class deposits of key metals like copper and cobalt, is looking to attract a wider range of investors by streamliningContinue Reading
The government plans to transfer more than 40 of its reserved permits to a state-owned enterprise. Zambia is poised to significantly increase its copper production, with ambitions to more than quadruple output by the early 2030s, according to Bloomberg News. This ambitious plan requires substantial investment from companies to transitionContinue Reading
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) state-owned mining company has submitted a bid to acquire Chemaf Resources’ local unit, after previously signaling opposition to a planned sale of the copper and cobalt miner to a Chinese investor. Chemaf, backed by Trafigura Group, spent nine months searching for a buyer beforeContinue Reading
Copper prices are expected to average around US$10,265 per tonne in the final quarter of 2024, according to estimates from Fastmarkets. Analysts at Reuters note that a positive economic outlook in both the United States and China will likely contribute to upward pressure on copper prices. Goldman Sachs has alsoContinue Reading
An investigation by La Guardia Magazine highlights the severe health consequences of intensive cobalt mining in Kolwezi, DRC, particularly on women’s reproductive health. From 2018 to 2023, cobalt production surged by 63%, increasing from 104,000 tons to 170,000 tons due to rising global demand for this essential mineral for energyContinue Reading
Kizito Pakabomba, the Congolese Minister of Mines, dismissed the proposal to create a separate financial authority for the mining sector during a press café in Kinshasa, organized by the mining registry. Pakabomba contended that forming another agency would introduce unnecessary bureaucracy, citing concerns from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) regardingContinue Reading
The Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) has approved 116 projects with a total investment value of approximately $1.91 billion during its ninth sitting in September 2024. Out of 121 projects reviewed, this approval marks a significant step forward for Zambia’s development across multiple sectors. The mining and mineral processing sectorContinue Reading
