DRC Opens First Gold Refinery With 600kg a Month Processing Capacity

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has launched its first pilot gold refinery in the city of Kalemie, marking a milestone in the country’s efforts to process its own mineral resources and capture more value from its vast gold deposits.

The new facility, known as DRC Gold Refinery S.A., is designed to process between 500 and 600 kilograms of gold each month.

Authorities say the refinery will handle the full value chain, from purchasing gold from local miners to refining it and producing bullion bars ready for export.

The refinery was inaugurated on March 11 in Kalemie, in the presence of several senior government officials, including Congo’s Minister of Mines, Louis Watum Kabamba; Minister of State for Planning, Guylain Nyembo; and Minister of Portfolio, Julie Shiku.

Speaking during the launch, Kabamba described the project as a turning point for the country’s mining sector, saying it would allow the Democratic Republic of the Congo to refine its gold domestically for the first time while improving transparency and pricing for miners.

The officials said the refinery will enable the country to export refined gold with a purity of up to 99.9 per cent, helping strengthen oversight of the gold trade and reduce losses linked to smuggling.

The project is a partnership between state-backed DRC Gold Trading and private mining firm Lunga Mining.

Authorities say the collaboration is aimed at formalising gold trading in a sector long dominated by informal activity.

Artisanal and small-scale miners produce a significant portion of the country’s gold, but much of it historically leaves the country through unofficial channels, depriving the government of tax revenues and reducing traceability in international supply chains.

Congolese officials believe the refinery will help address those challenges by offering transparent trading facilities and fairer prices for artisanal miners, while ensuring that more of the gold produced in the country is processed locally.

The initiative reflects a broader trend across Africa as governments attempt to capture greater value from their mineral resources.

For decades, much of the continent’s gold has been exported in raw form and refined abroad, allowing foreign processing hubs to capture most of the profits in the value chain.

Countries such as Ghana and Tanzania have recently expanded their gold refining infrastructure, while Mali and Burkina Faso have also explored similar projects as part of broader efforts to strengthen control over mineral resources and boost national revenues.

For the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is better known globally for its cobalt and copper reserves, the Kalemie refinery represents a strategic step toward diversifying and strengthening its mining sector.

The government says the facility is expected to play a key role in improving transparency in the gold trade while ensuring that the country benefits more fully from one of its most valuable natural resources.

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