Small-scale miners in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are tipped to gain access to a bigger market and better prices for their gold after the country launched its first pilot gold refinery.
The facility, DRC Gold Refinery, inaugurated on March 11 in the Tanganyika province, is a joint project between government-backed mining company, DRC Gold Trading and private local company Lunga Mining.
Once operational, it is projected to start processing between 500kg and 600kg of gold each month, covering the entire value chain from purchasing gold from miners to refining it and producing gold bars.
“For the first time, the Democratic Republic of Congo is acquiring the capacity to refine its own strategic minerals, while offering fair prices, transparent facilities and unprecedented benefits for thousands of artisanal miners, trading posts and small and medium-sized mines,” said DRC Minister of Mines Louis Watum Kabamba during the launch.
Much of the DRC’s gold is currently exported or smuggled out of the country in raw form, limiting earnings for local miners and government revenues.
The country’s mining ministry estimates between 40 and 50 tonnes of gold valued at $3-billion are smuggled out of the country annually.
Officials said the new facility will enable the DRC to export gold refined to 99.9% purity while improving transparency and oversight in the sector.
Kabamba said the initiative aligns with President Félix Tshisekedi’s vision to turn the country’s mineral resources into a driver of economic development and national sovereignty.
Under a February agreement, the Congolese central bank will have priority access to gold collected by the trader, allowing the country to begin building national reserves at global market prices. The deal designates DRC Gold Trading as the exclusive supplier of artisanal gold for the country’s foreign exchange reserves, with gold sourced from licensed miners and approved cooperatives under a framework designed to improve transparency and traceability.
By close of 2026, the DRC government targets to collect 15 tonnes of artisanal gold valued at $2.6-billion at current international market price. This significantly exceeds the 10 tonnes volumes officially declared during the past three years since the DRC government entered a joint venture with the United Arab Emirates to create the company. In 2024, the government owned the venture fully, to strengthen oversight of artisanal production and reduce illicit exports.
“For thousands of artisanal miners, the new refinery could open up a more transparent market and reduce reliance on informal buyers who often dictate prices,” said Joash Obonyo, a Nairobi based mining expert. – Bird Story Agency
