The mining sector of the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to position itself as one of the major players in global copper production. During the period from January 1 to June 7, 2024, copper production in the country amounted to 782,870 tonnes, according to data revealed by the Central Bank of Congo (BCC) in its latest statistical report.
The Société Générale des Carrières et des Mines (GCM) contributed to this production by producing 1,524 tonnes of copper, while the partner companies of Gécamines and other companies ensured the bulk of the production, reaching a total of 781,346 tonnes, as mentioned by the Research Department of the Central Bank of Congo.
This performance confirms the DRC’s place as the second largest producer of copper in the world, having overtaken Peru in 2023. The production of copper metal in the country indeed reached 2,842,021 tonnes in 2023, recording significant growth of 31% compared to the previous year, when it was 2,359,824 tonnes.
The sustained growth in copper production in the DRC is mainly attributable to companies such as China’s CMOC Group and Switzerland’s Glencore, which operate copper-rich mines like Tenke Fungurume, Kisanfu and Kamoto Copper Company. These companies have made a major contribution to the rise in copper production in the country, with CMOC producing 393,987 tonnes of copper in 2023, and Glencore totaling 241,500 tonnes.
Although the DRC has seen significant progress in its copper production, Chile remains at the top of the world ranking with production exceeding 5 million tonnes in 2022. Peru, for its part, produced 2.76 million tonnes in 2023, consolidating its position in the global copper market.
This dynamic observed in the Congolese mining sector demonstrates its potential and its contribution to the national economy. The growing production of copper offers development and growth opportunities for the country, as well as promising prospects for the mining sector in the years to come. The DRC thus continues to assert itself as a key figure on the world stage of copper production.