Mobilising momentum for Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) industrialisation: New Critical Minerals & Industrialisation Forum

CAPE TOWN: The organisers of the DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum have announced the launch of a new, co-located event to this flagship annual gathering in Kolwezi, namely, the DRC Critical Minerals & Industrialisation Forum.
“The successful 2025 edition of DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum reaffirmed that industrialisation is the key to transforming the DRC’s mineral wealth into sustainable prosperity,” says Samukelo Madlabane, Event Director, Mining Portfolio of the VUKA Group that organises several leading mining events on the continent.

“We received incredible engagement and collaboration from private and public sectors alike, and this reinforced the forum’s mission to accelerate the industrialisation of the DRC through value addition, beneficiation, and local participation in the global supply chain. We thank the Government of the DRC for its continued leadership and support in driving this national industrial vision.”

Heeding the call to action
He adds: “the event was truly transformative with leaders from mining houses, government, investors, and industry at large coming together with one shared vision; the forum concluded with a clear call to turn dialogue into action and partnerships into long-term impact. We are heeding this call by launching the DRC Critical Minerals & Industrialisation Forum, providing that much-needed momentum to take this vision to the next level and to reality.”

He continues: “In particular, the DRC government is on an action-oriented drive to industrialise the country off the back of its mineral wealth and this Forum is the vehicle to do just that.”

The new Forum, which is to be co-located with the DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum in Kolwezi in October, will bring together mining companies, refiners, downstream manufacturers, investors, EPCs (engineering, procurement, construction), financiers, logistics, energy, telecoms, infrastructure, and government to accelerate DRC’s journey from mineral extraction to fully integrated industrial value chains.

Representatives from the following sectors will attend and contribute to the discussions:

Mining and up-stream extraction
Mineral processing and refining / Beneficiation
Downstream manufacturing
Energy and power infrastructure
Transport and logistics (mining supply chains)
Investment, financing, and funding / Project finance
Policy, regulation, and government strategy / Local content and industrial policy
Telecoms / Digital infrastructure and data
Sustainability, ESG, community, and social impact / Workforce development
DRC Critical Minerals & Industrialisation Forum
“We look forward to visionary, insightful, creative, and, most of all, practical hands-on discussions by esteemed industry pioneers and entrepreneurs in our new co-located Forum,” says Madlabane. “We thank the Government of the DRC for its continued leadership and support in driving this national industrial vision. Their endorsement played a key role in shaping the discussions and outcomes of last year’s event. We look forward to growing and shaping the journey along with the various national, regional, and global private and public sector stakeholders.”

Industry support
Last year’s DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum enjoyed the support of industry leaders such as Cominière S.A., Enabel DRC, Mining Engineering Services, Elephant Trade, ANAPI, Alfred H. Knight, Congo Astral Company, Elada Consulting, Equity BCDC, Glorhis Multi Services, Kamoa Copper, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, MMG Kinsevere, Morco Services, Temperature, Telluric Holdings Sarl and Trust Merchant Bank S.A.