Copper
The core electrification metal. African supply is concentrated in the Central African Copperbelt across the DRC and Zambia.
Key data
- Unit
- t
- Value
- Pending verification
- As of
- Pending verification
- Value chains
- Copper to cathode
- Leading African producers
- Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Botswana
Market signals
Related projects
Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex
One of the world's largest and highest-grade copper complexes, with power supply and export logistics as the defining constraints.
- Capacity
- Multi-phase concentrator capacity; see operator disclosures
- Status
- Operating with phased expansion and on-site smelter
Kansanshi S3 Expansion
Expansion of Zambia's largest copper mine through a new processing train, central to national copper output growth targets.
- Capacity
- New processing train raising throughput; see operator disclosures
- Status
- Expansion executing
Tenke Fungurume
One of the largest copper-cobalt operations in the world, central to global cobalt supply.
- Capacity
- Major copper and cobalt output; see operator disclosures
- Status
- Operating
Leading African producers
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The DRC hosts the highest-grade major copper mines in the world and dominates global cobalt supply, with the Lobito Corridor reshaping how that output reaches international markets.
Zambia
Zambia's copper growth ambition depends as much on hydropower availability and Lobito Corridor logistics as on orebody quality.
Botswana
Botswana's economy is anchored on diamond mining through the Debswana partnership between the government and De Beers, with coal resources and a growing copper belt in the Kalahari.
Related companies
miningIvanhoe Mines
Vancouver, Canada
Co-developer of the Kamoa-Kakula copper complex in the DRC, among the highest-grade large copper mines in the world.
miningFirst Quantum Minerals
Vancouver, Canada
Operator of Kansanshi and Sentinel in Zambia, with the Kansanshi S3 expansion extending mine life and throughput.
miningCMOC Group
Luoyang, China
Operator of Tenke Fungurume and Kisanfu in the DRC, making it one of the world's largest cobalt producers.
Business opportunities
Power supply for DRC copper expansion
Copper expansion in Lualaba is power-constrained. Hydropower rehabilitation, imports and IPP capacity represent a recurring investment need rather than a single tender.
Lobito Corridor logistics capacity
Copper and cobalt producers, freight forwarders and equipment suppliers are contracting capacity on the Atlantic corridor.
Value chains
Related industries
Mining & Minerals
Exploration, extraction and concentration of metallic and industrial minerals.
Metals & Industrial
Smelting, refining, alumina and aluminium production, steel, coke and downstream industrial manufacturing.
Energy Transition
Critical minerals, battery materials, renewables, storage, grid infrastructure and electrification.
Related infrastructure
Lobito Atlantic Railway
Rail concession linking the Angolan port of Lobito to the Copperbelt in the DRC and Zambia, shortening export routes for copper and cobalt.
Inga Hydropower Complex
Congo River hydropower complex central to any credible plan to power DRC mining growth.
Related commodities
Cobalt
Battery cathode input produced largely as a copper by-product in the DRC, which accounts for the majority of world mine supply.
Gold
Ghana, South Africa, Mali, Tanzania and Burkina Faso anchor African gold output across large-scale and artisanal production.
Diamonds
Botswana is the world's leading producer of natural diamonds by value, with Namibia's marine deposits, Angola and the DRC forming the rest of Africa's supply.
Coal
South African thermal coal and Mozambican coking coal remain significant export earners and power-sector inputs.
Related news
Copperbelt growth keeps running into the power question
Expansion plans in Lualaba and North-Western Province depend on firm electricity, placing hydropower rehabilitation and imports at the centre of copper strategy.
Lobito Corridor volumes become the metric to watch for Copperbelt exports
The Atlantic route shortens transit versus east coast alternatives; realised tonnage will determine its strategic weight.
DRC holds cobalt exports to 96,600 tonnes a year as refining stays in China
The DRC caps cobalt exports at 96,600 tonnes a year, while processing remains concentrated in China, according to Le Point.cd's review after the 23–25 September Trump–Xi meeting.
Related intelligence
- U.S. Geological Survey
Mineral Commodity Summaries
Last verified 26 Aug 2026Verified
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